Bart Cummings has done it again!  This time it was with his bonny filly Faint Perfume, who strode home to win the Group I VRC Crown Oaks at Flemington this afternoon.Faint Perfume, coming off a dominant win in last Saturday’s Group 2 Wakeful Stakes, was sent out as the red-hot elect and she didn’t let her backers down to give her sire Shamardal his first winner at the elite level and her trainer his 257th Group One.

Ridden by Michael Rodd, Faint Perfume copped a bit of interference soon after the jump and settled well back.  Money Angel under Hugh Bowman began best and found the front with Silent Surround under Damien Oliver racing close behind him.  The pace was fast and by the time the field swung down the Maribyrnong Road side of the course the field was strung out.  At this stage Rodd was in last place on Faint Perfume following his main danger Valdermoro.
As the front runners began to tire, Rodd had Faint Perfume in clean running as she made ground out wide racing alongside Valdermoro.  Once into the straight Valdemoro issued her challenge and took the lead.  No sooner had Valdemoro (Encosta de Lago ex Hveger by Danehill) found the front, than Faint Perfume strode up alongside her and they raced clear of the pack.

Faint Perfume did best over the concluding stages to claim the elite victory and in doing so she gave Bart Cummings his ninth winner of the VRC Oaks.
Savsbelle (Savabeel ex Polly’s Pocket by Pirate’s Bounty) was third.
Faint Perfume’s victory gave her iconic trainer his fourth Group One victory of the Melbourne spring carnival following on from Allez Wonder in the Toorak Handicap, Viewed in the Caulfield Cup and So You Think in the Tatts Cox Plate.
“She’s a very good staying filly,” Cummings told Channel Seven.
“She’s only little - but she’s got a big heart.”
The win was Faint Perfume’s third at only her seventh start and took her prizemoney past $800,000.
Bred by Wynyarra Stud and co-owner Dato Tan Chin Nam, Faint Perfume was offered for sale at the William Inglis 2008 Easter yearling sale where she failed to meet her $440,000 reserve.  She is out of Zona, a non-winning daughter of Zabeel, and her grandam is the dual Group 1 winning Danendri (by Danehill).
Faint Perfume is by Darley’s red-hot stallion Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway - Helsinki by Machiavellian), who has enjoyed a great start to the 2009-10 southern hemisphere racing season through the deeds of Shamoline Warrior and Faint Perfume.  Unfortunately for breeders down under his covering duties this spring have been cut short as he was withdrawn from service after a paddock accident.

• Bloodhound pedigree - Faint Perfume

Tags: Darley, Group I, VRC
Permalink| Nov 5, 2009

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