Bart Cummings was back at the races on Saturday after a short break to welcome emerging stayer Star Ripper to the winner's stall at Randwick.After all the hype of the Melbourne spring carnival it was back to basics for the master trainer as Star Ripper notched his third consecutive win.The Sharp Handicap (2400m) was Star Ripper's first outing in Saturday company and he handled it with the same ease as his past two wins at Hawkesbury and Warwick Farm.The four-year-old is by Encosta De Lago out of
Bart Cummings was back at the races on Saturday after a short break to welcome emerging stayer Star Ripper to the winner's stall at Randwick.
After all the hype of the Melbourne spring carnival it was back to basics for the master trainer as Star Ripper notched his third consecutive win.
The Sharp Handicap (2400m) was Star Ripper's first outing in Saturday company and he handled it with the same ease as his past two wins at Hawkesbury and Warwick Farm.
The four-year-old is by Encosta De Lago out of Dane Ripper who Cummings trained to win the 1997 Cox Plate and Stradbroke Handicap and the Australian Cup the following year.
"He is a horse with a future," Cummings said.
"He comes from a good family so you would expect him to be okay.
"The fillies are all pretty good but the colts need gelding like him."
Cummings has earmarked next month's Christmas and Summer Cups for Star Ripper who started at $4.20 in a tight tussle for favouritism with Scouting Wide at $3.90 and Merensky Reef at $3.80.
Star Ripper was back off the pace early but gathered momentum in the straight to go on to beat Scouting Wide by 2-1/2 lengths with Merensky Reef another half-head away third.
The Christmas Cup is at Rosehill on December 12 and the Summer Cup at Randwick two weeks later with Ready To Lift claiming the 2400m double in 2008.