Bart Cummings Trophy for Equinics Braggin’ Rights

This Grade 1 race, part of the Equinics racing series, does the old legend Bart Cummings proud—dinkum legend who trained no less than TWELVE Melbourne Cup champs… 13 Australian Cups, four Golden Slipper Stakes, and heaps more top races over 40-odd years. You’d reckon Cummings was to Aussie racing what Babe Ruth was to American baseball.

Bob Charley, ex-chairman of the Australian Jockey Club, put it like this:

 “If I were a horse, I’d want Bart to train me. He doesn’t boss ‘em around; he gets inside their heads.”

Now, what’s this Equinics thing? It’s the Olympics of the sim racing world—yeah nah, big deal. Each outfit in the residency can send one horse into each Equinics race, and there’s a medal count just like the Olympics, plus a fair whack of bragging rights.

Now that the scene’s set…

The Bart Cummings Trophy’s runnin’ at Perth, six furlongs on the dirt. Small pot on the line, but big braggin’ rights!

I’m no racing historian, but reckon not many horses have been good enough, long enough to run in more’n one Equinics event. Still, three of these rare blokes met two years back, with Relative Humor, Westward Mischief and PEC finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the 2024 Equinics Dirt Sprint.

So, let’s have a squiz at this bonza bunch…

BAHAMIAN COGNAC (15-1) represents the Florida Racing Club and is trained by socalslewmm. The recently-gelded 4yo Bahamian Squall colt’s 1 for 1 since getting snipped, going gate-to-wire in a restricted allowance. It’s been a while since he fronted up in graded company, though he does have a G2 win. Needless to say, getting a win here’d be a major upset.

The Latinos Del Mundo residency called on the Haack mob to send in their five-year-old Tapit son, EL CONGUERO MAYOR (5/1). This galloper’s banked seven-fifty in the kitty from 21 jumps, and among them a brace of graded-stakes wins. Last time out, he saluted in a small stakes at today’s trip as a test of how he copes with a shorter distance, a test he nailed with flying colours. This flashy sort’s fronting up against a stiffer mob here. A bonafide frontrunner thru most of his career, he flew home from far back to win that last start. Will he try that again here? With four expected speed types goin’ at it here, it might be the play.

The Down Under Racing rep is Woette1’s WOETTE’S SEA TIZZY (9/2). This six-year-old Tiz The Law son is the busiest runner of the field, with 34 jumps under his belt. He’s won 11 of those and over $800k. In five graded tries, he hasn’t won but’s been on the board in four. If the wet stuff rolls in, it’ woulda been be a real bonza for this one. That 117 speed he showed when just-missing the Grade 1 Three Bender could well be spot-on if he can repeat that, but he’ll have to do it on fast dirt today.

ITCH MONSTER’s a West Virginia-bred son of Monster Mash. The 5yo gelding’s from the Roys stables and represents the Northwest Racing Circuit. This is a tough gig for this stakes-placed winner of just $224k, and it’s his graded-stakes debut. The 29/1 odds reflect that.

The Orphans residency rep’s a 4yo son of Zoustar who’s already built one heck of a resume. In just 20 starts, POWERFUL STAR’s snagged four graded stakes wins, including three Grade 1’s, the Prince’s Knight Stakes, the Sam Saves The Day stakes, and the recent Hanzo Sprint Cup. All of those were won gate-to-wire, and this Coolk runner’s shortening up here. On the downside, he faded late in his last, but at a furlong further. Ranked #2 on the Older Dirt Sprint rankings, he’ll be a tough one, and he’s off at 7/1.

From the Kashbarn mob comes the East-West Connection residency’s rep, HOT JALAPENO (9/1), fresh off winning the Grade 2 Bluegrass Sprint. That was the four-year-old Union Rags colt’s first graded-stakes win after five cracks at the level. He’ll be keen to jump out quick and try to lead the whole way. Good horse, but this is a big ask.

MANDFORD (17/1), the Mecca residency rep, is trained by Alibilane2, a substable of Oakridge Racing. He’s the top earner from Kentucky sire Nashville. A late-closer in seven-furlong races, this four-year-old’s only managed two wins from 15 starts, but he took out the G2 Saint Vincent last winter and’s had a fair few near misses since, including a handy third in the Bluegrass Sprint in his last run on the Bluegrass Derby undercard.

STRATEGIC BOB (8/1), from Ceres Racing Stables, is the Universal Racing Stables’ nominee. This five-year-old son of Maryland sire Baltimore Bob’s had a fair bit on his plate in 2026, and this’ll be his 11th run this year. A dyed-in-the-wool frontrunner, he’ll have plenty of mates up front with him. If he can back up what he did a couple of starts back in the G3 Astroturf Sprint, he’d have a decent crack at piling up some points for his residency.

WESTWARD MISCHIEF (7/1), has banked just under three mill. This is his second go at the Equinics rodeo, and he’s no slouch—five graded stakes wins, includin’ the 2022 Breeders’ Bowl Juvenile Sprint. The 6yo son should well be appreciatin’ the chance to hear his feet rattlin’ on the fast track way out West. From the Lbailey stables, he bears the flag for Empire State Racing.

PEC’s lookin’ to bring some glory to the Elite Racing Club, aka ERC. This seven-year-old son of Malibu Moon’s banked over two and a quarter mill in his 28-race career and sits at number three in the Older Dirt Sprint division. He rolls into this race after a fast-closin’ second in the Grade 2 Due North Stakes, and he’s got four Grade 1 trophies sittin’ in the cabinet. His age might be a bit of a worry, and he could be even better if this race was six and a half furlongs. Even with those downsides, this Ric480 trainee’s a real chance in this event—he’s got the experience for sure. Two years ago, he ran fourth in the Equinics Dirt Sprint, and goes at 6/1 here.

Empire State Racing’s fronted up by a six-year-old son of Into Mischief called RELATIVE HUMOR, wearin’ the colours for the MIDAS residency at 6/1. This son of Uncle Mo’s got $2.8 mill in the bank, a Grade 1 win, four Grade 2s, and a heap of near-misses. His trainer Dixiedotco has kept him in good nick, and a strong late rush has seen him pile up the wins on the track.

The European Union Racing Association’s rolled out OCEAN PRO (15/1) from the LSUMark stable. This top-rated Provacateur (NY) runner’s well and truly left his sire’s rep in the dust, snagging five stakes spoils, including two Grade 2’s and a Grade 3. He’s got a handy running style—won the G3 Arizona Silver Spoon from deep back, but led or pressed the pace in all his other wins. This is a fair step up the class ladder, but maybe not out of reach.

‘reckon this Equinics race is a real stinker to pick…

I’ll just put me neck on the line and back POWERFUL STAR to see out the scorcher early splits and hold on at the post.

PEC, makin’ the most of the burn-up, sneaks home for 2nd.

WESTWARD MISCHIEF clings on for 3rd.

Have a g’day at Perth!

(And guard yer pockets from the Perth snatchers…)