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Edward Cummings has completed his best season on a winning note as he lays the foundation for even better seasons ahead.
Cummings won his 18th race in 2021-22 when Flyway ($2.45 favorite) shed his maiden status at Goulburn yesterday.
And he is looking forward to trialling his outstanding mare Duais at Warwick Farm on Friday as she gets closer to beginning a spring campaign aimed at the Melbourne features.
"It's been a terrific season, highlighted of course by Duais winning two Group 1s (Australian Cup at Flemington, and Tancred Stakes at Newcastle, the meeting having to be transferred from Rosehill Gardens)," Cummings said this morning.
"We have won six races in town, nine at the provincials and three in the country," Cummings said.
"I've got 20 horses in work, and that's the capacity at present.
"But I have just got a DA (Development Application) approved to build a new barn to accommodate another 15 to eventually increase the number to 35."
Cummings was delighted to win the Maiden Plate (1600m) at Goulburn with lightly-raced rising four-year-old Flyway (Keagan Latham).
Having only his fifth start in his first racing preparation, the Star Turn gelding followed recent provincial seconds at Hawkesbury and Wyong by defeating fellow Hawkesbury rival, Tommy Wong's Speedy Song ($6).
"It is always good to win a race for one of the strong supporters of our stable in Gerry Harvey," Cummings said.
"Gerry bred Flyway, and the horse wasn't pushed as a two-year-old.
"We gave him a trial at Hawkesbury last November, and turned him out before getting him going again this year.
"With Flyway's maiden out of the way now, he'll go to the paddock."
Cummings' 18 winners and 30 placings resulted in his season prizemoney earnings of nearly $2.64m more than doubling the $1.1m his horses collected last season from 13 wins and 25 placings.
Triple Group 1 winner Duais is the early $11 favorite for the Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 15 and $15 joint favorite for the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 1.
She is also at $12 on the sixth line of betting for the wfa Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 22.
"Duais is in great order; I'm very happy with how she is progressing," Cummings said.
"She will trial at Warwick Farm on Friday, and resume in the $750,000 Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on August 20.
"Duais will be nominated for the Cups and Cox Plate and, being a Group 1 weight-for-age winner at both 2000m (and also 2400m), it will be a pretty commonsense approach with her."
