Ed Cummings’ mare Arts to run at Randwick after nine-month absence

Myrtle House and trainer Ed Cummings are set to bring out four-year-old mare Arts for the upcoming ATC Thank You Stable Staff Handicap (1300m) at Randwick on Saturday. Arts, who has yet to win any Group 1 races in her career, has been stabled since finishing third in the Inglis Ready2race Handicap at Warwick last October.  
 
The betting sites currently have her as a huge outsider for Saturday’s race at Randwick. However, Cummings thinks she could be a strong runner in spring races next season.

Arts starts comeback at Randwick 

After suffering an illness and an underwhelming start to the 2023/24 season, Ed Cummings decided to stable four-year-old mare Arts in October.  
 
The daughter of Xtravagant finished dead last in her debut in the Merrylands Rsl Club (Bm88) at Rosehill in August. Arts followed that up by placing 12th out of 14 racers in the Group 3 Yarraman Park Stud Tibbie Stakes at Newcastle. She placed in her last run of the season. Arts finished 3rd in the Inglis Ready2race Handicap at Warwick.  
 
Now, Arts is ready to start her comeback. Ed Cummings has scheduled his horse to run this Saturday at Randwick.  
 
Jockey Sam Clipperton will ride the mare from barrier seven at this Saturday’s ATC Thank You Stable Staff Handicap (1300m).  

Long layoff hurts Arts chances 

Whenever a horse has an eight-plus month layoff like Arts has, there are concerns about rustiness. Trainer Ed Cummings expressed those concerns this week ahead of Arts’ big race.  
 
“I was pretty happy with her last trial and I’ve been much happier with her since then. She’d had a genuinely long break, six or eight months, and it always takes them a bit longer to work the rust out,” he said.  
 
Arts has run in two trial races at Randwick ahead of her return race this Saturday. She placed eighth and sixth in those trial runs.  
 
Given her long layoff, the betting apps don’t give Arts much of a chance on Saturday. Most top sites have her at $41.00 odds to win or longer.  

Cummings talks up returnee 

While Cummings and the horse racing betting world doesn’t expect much from Arts on Saturday, her trainer thinks she could become a top horse sooner rather than later.  
 
Cummings says, despite her Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) win in April 2023, Arts was not quite ready for the step up this season. 
 
“Stepping out from three-year-old fillies’ grade to open company is always a tough challenge and she probably wasn’t quite there physically to do that,” the Myrtle House man said.  
 
“She was always that little bit backward and immature. Even when she won the Adrian Knox and ran well in the Oaks, it was well before her time. 
 
“The way she has come back in and the way she has been holding her condition and been able to take a bit more work. They’re all signs that she has matured.” 
 
How Arts races on Sunday could play a big role in where she races at the start of the Spring season over the next few months.