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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Anthony Cummings sees no reason why a dominant winner – and he hopes it’s his mare Mizzy - of Saturday’s Group 2 $200,000 Schweppes Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill shouldn’t be considered for the TAB Everest.

Trainer Anthony Cummings (Pic: Bradley Photos)

While travel difficulties due to Covid-19 play a part it’s Cummings’ view that the revamped Sydney spring program, with the $15m TAB Everest the focal point, over the past few years is responsible for the strength of the Sheraco.

This year's race boasts a capacity field, stacked with classy mares so whoever wins will really earn it.

“The new shape of the Sydney spring has done that, the options to go to some of those open sprints has disappeared given the strength the Everest has brought,’’ Cummings said.

“We were thinking about starting (Mizzy) in the Shorts but it’ll be a Group 1 race given the strength of it. To come to this race for the mares is a sensible thing to do.

“A few of these mares are on trial for a look at the Everest and if one was to dominate then I think an Everest slot is on the cards for the best one.

“It might be us, it might be Fasika, there are a few there with that option.”

Another Cummings-trained mare Libertini is waiting in the wings to add her name to the Everest picture when she resumes in next month's Group 2 Premiere Stakes.

She caught the eye running third behind Bivouac at Tuesday’s trials and Cummings said she will trial again on September 25 before taking on Nature Strip and laying her cards on the table.

Mizzy, a mare that flies under the radar, won the Sheraco last year but hasn’t raced since last spring where her campaign culminated with a placing in the $7.5m Golden Eagle.

Cummings said a muscle strain suffered in the Eagle, where she ran third to Kolding and Sunlight, was still troubling her when she returned so didn’t press on with an autumn campaign.

Like Libertini, Mizzy appeared at Tuesday’s trials and she ran second behind Bivouac in a trial that Cummings said would bring her on considerably.

“She needed more of a hitout than what you would normally see in those sorts of trials in the week they race but she will take benefit of that into Saturday,’’ he said.

“She came out of it bouncing so it hasn’t knocked her around at all.

“I think she will run really well and then it’s a matter of how the race is run, if she gets the run she is entitled to from the gate she will make her presence felt.

“She has a good record and doesn’t seem to get much credit for it. She had that best maiden in Australia tag for a while but when she hit her straps she did it seriously and just kept winning.”

Mizzy, $9.50 with TAB in the Sheraco, is likely to progress to the Group 2 Golden Pendant (1400m) in two weeks, a race she also won last year.

The Pendant is also on trainer Bjorn Baker’s mind for another underrated mare in Positive Peace after Saturday’s race and the Warwick Farm trainer is expecting a cheeky performance.

Mizzy runs second in a Randwick trial on September 8

The five-year-old charged through the grades last season winning five on end including the Group 2 Emanicpation Stakes and finished midfield in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf in April.

“She’s made drastic improvement through her prep last time and you can’t knock her winning form,’’ Baker said.

“She’s going to run a really good race, she’s going to be competitive.”

Positive Peace, $21, took on Farnan and company in her second trial, finishing fifth, and Baker said she’s a different horse with her blinkers on.

“It’s a really tough race and I thought her trials have been excellent,’’ he said.

“If she can run top five you’ve got to be happy but we do know she gets better through her prep, in saying that she’s more forward than she’s been.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Rosehill meeting