In-form gelding Regal Azmon defies Arran Bay again to win Group 3 Cummings Stakes at Morphettville
Regal Azmon denied stablemate Arran Bay his revenge, soaring home to blitz the Group 3 Cummings Stakes at Morphettville on Saturday.
Last in a field of 12, Regal Azmon ($15 Sportsbet) circled his rivals to explode down the straight, reeling in Arran Bay and Fine Future as trainer Phillip Stokes and jockey Lachlan Neindorf combined for another stakes win.
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The Magnus gelding narrowly defeated Arran Bay last start in Open Handicap, assisted by an 8.5kg weight advantage, and with only 0.5kg separating them on Saturday, many, including Stokes, expected Arran Bay ($4.40) to turn the tables.
'I thought the same, especially how close they were last time,' Stokes said.
'He's a winner this horse and Arran Bay was game in defeat and I'm very happy to take the quinella again.
'A big thanks to Mark and the Regal mob, and the team here, they've done a really good job.'
Stokes has some thinking to do, with a possible Queensland tilt on the radar for the in-form seven-year-old.
'I'll have to have a think about that. We'll see what the ratings do, but we may have to think about Brisbane,' he said.
'Arran Bay, he's hard to place. He'll probably have a break and look to the spring. He's knocking on the door to win again.'
• What the jockeys said: 2025 The Goodwood
Wine Barron snapped a two-year winless streak in Saturday's opening race, which included an uncommon gear change.
Jamie Melham piloted a luckless Wine Barron to fifth on Derby Day, and with Jamie unavailable on Saturday, husband, Ben Melham, hopped aboard.
Ben Melham steered the Michael Hickmott-trained gelding to a commanding win.
Steel Trap produced a tough win in the Group 3 David Coles AM Stakes, the filly had a beautiful rails run under Jamie Melham, and scooted through underneath race leader Brave Design to grind out a maiden stakes win.
The two-year-old, trained by Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray has a bright future, and was a $30,000 purchase at the 2024 Adelaide Yearling Sale.
The Melham show rolled into race four, with Ben bringing up an early double as Private Legacy saluted in the Centaurea Stakes.
It was a first stakes win for the Gregory Hickman-trained mare, who finished a narrow second in last year's Group 1 Australasian Oaks.
Litzdeel, who is a half-sister to Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare, won the Group 3 SA Fillies Classic for Victorian trainer Danny O'Brien.
The filly showed heart to stave off Chase Your Dreams and Cavity Bay in the final stages under the riding of Zac Spain.
Exciting mare Cleo Cat was an impressive winner of the Proud Miss Stakes, the four-year-old, who has won a remarkable seven wins from eight races for Tom Dabernig, cruised to a comfortable win under jockey Jordan Childs.
The Melhams shared riding honours on Goodwood day's nine-race card, both scoring a double, although Jamie Melham holds bragging rights, winning Saturday's major race.
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