Newcastle, Warren previews: Trainer Ed Cummings to tie them in knots with Demmo Dermy

News.com.au

2 days ago

Edward Cummings turns up at Newcastle on Tuesday with a first starter that is not only related to Tie The Knot – he is a virtual replica of the 13-times Group 1 winner.
His name is Demmo Dermy and with a white stripe running down his face, together with one white sock on his powerful chestnut frame, he is a dead-ringer for Guy Walter's two-time Sydney Cup and four-time Chipping Norton winner.
Bred by Kate Nivison (who remains in the ownership), Demmo Dermy was offered by Ollie Tait's Twin Hills Stud at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in 2023.
This modern day 'Tait/Nivison' galloper was purchased at Oaklands by triple Group 1 -winning trainer Cummings for $160,000.
Cummings could not have planned a better debut assignment for Demmo Dermy than Tuesday's 1200m Nelson Bay Maiden Plate after a sequence of three trials, each one overflowing with merit.
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'He was a November foal at the sales but he has got quite a well-developed physique,'' Cummings explained.
'But he is just a little bit immature so he just needed a little bit of help so we put the winkers on for the debut.
'It seemed to help him in that last trial at Hawkesbury and I think the three trials should have him perfect for 1200m.
'He has drawn okay. He gets Brock (Ryan) in the saddle who trialled him first time out and he quite liked the horse.
'Where he gets to in the run, I would think maybe midfield and if he does everything right, he should run well.
'He has a got beautiful big action and he's got a good turn of foot when he applies himself,'' Cummings says.
'It is just about having the winkers on there to help him apply himself fully and act as professionally as possible.'
The Australian Cup, Tancred Stakes and Queensland Oaks -winning trainer has two of his string down to contest Tuesday's The Sporting Hope Provincial Maiden Handicap over 1600m, namely North Terrace and Suncone.
There wouldn't be a more cleverly-named horse at Newcastle on Tuesday than North Terrace, a Bowness Stud-bred gelding who is a son of Adelaide out of a mare named Party Hard.
'He is a genuine stayer,'' Cummings said. 'But he has got good speed so he should be able to put himself there.
'He has drawn awkwardly but gets Aaron Bullock on and if he could run top three, we'd be thrilled.
'I would hope he would be good enough to get out over a mile-and-a-half because I think that's when he should be at his best.'
As for Suncone, this will be her first time at a mile but input from broodmare sires like Star Way and Wolverton, not to mention Oncidium and Agricola, stand her in good stead to run the trip.
'We have had her up for a long time and I might have just erred by sending her back over 1200m last start,'' Cummings said.
'She is a pretty freewheeling type of filly so we just needed to make sure she was bedding down good habits in her races before we stepped her up in trip.'
The new season could very well usher in a return to the glory days at Myrtle Lodge.
'We're back rebuilding and trying to get our ducks in a row for the spring and beyond,'' Cummings said.
'It's obviously been a testing period but I'm certainly happy with the horses.
'I could definitely use a winner, we've been pretty unlucky, but we're just trying to make sure we present our horses in their best condition to run well.'
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Williams goes west as he follows the Stars
Danny Williams heads to the track universally known as 'The Randwick of the West' on Tuesday with a mare owned by a man who strides Royal Randwick like a titan.
The horse in question is the Warren -bound Everlasting Stars.
Her owner is the living legend, RL (Bob) Charley.
Punter, owner, breeder, media personality, Banjo Patterson aficionado and former AJC Chairman, Charley can – as of 2021 – boast Hall of Fame inductee to his resume.
Charley was hoping he could add 'Highway-winning owner' to that same CV but it wasn't to be when Everlasting Stars' first crack at a country-only feature ended with a somewhat unlucky 11th of 14.
'We didn't want to get too far out of our ground and we got back about two or three lengths further than we hoped to have,'' Williams began.
' Dylan (Gibbons) said he thought she was a winning chance coming to the turn but she got caught behind a little bit of traffic and she just didn't get full exposure.'
Williams takes a strong hand west to Warren on Tuesday with several of his string favoured by the opportunity to race a consistently fair track with its famously long straights and sweeping bends.
Enter the three-year-old pairing Manwari and Tjaka who were both on the wrong end of some front end bias at their respective assignments at Moruya on June 27.
'We didn't have a lot of luck with barriers at Moruya and I think it cost us a couple of races to be honest,'' the Galaxy-winning trainer said.
'Manwari's run was exceptional given the bias of the day. It was very on-pace and they've run home high 33s and he's most probably given them four lengths or more start.'
Williams meanwhile can take all the credit if Tjaka wins at Warren given he not only trains the daughter of Highland Reel, but but bred and owns her.
'She just got way too far out of her ground at Moruya,'' Williams said.
'But it was an exceptional run. I thought it was the run of the day to be honest from what I saw on replays.
'Take out her two wet track runs out and her form has been pretty good really.'
Williams saddles-up one a bargain buy that would be hard to beat in the shape of King Taurus who set his merry band of owners back a mere $1,000.
Ahead of today's mission, King Taurus' earnings stand at $31,485.