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Cosmic Endeavour has concluded a brilliant campaign with a maiden Group 1 success in last Saturday’s Tattersall’s Tiara.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained filly kicked off her latest campaign on the first day of autumn with a dominant win at Rosehill.
While only an 1100m three-year-old Benchmark 80 Handicap, early signs were encouraging.
A black type victory in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m) followed before Cosmic Endeavour took out the lucrative Inglis 3YO Scone Guineas (1400m).
Cosmic Endeavour’s Inglis Guineas success marked the three-year-old’s seventh run of the autumn.
Credit to her toughness, Cosmic Endeavour was sent north with a view to contesting the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m).
Cosmic Endeavour went into the final Group 1 of the year following a clinical Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes (1400m) victory.
From a Benchmark 85 3YO Handicap at Rosehill in March, Cosmic Endeavour was now one of the favourites for the Tattersall’s Tiara and the filly did not disappoint.
With an inside barrier, back to weight-for-age conditions and Tommy Berry returning from Hong Kong for the ride, all augured well for Cosmic Endeavour’s chances of a maiden Group 1 victory.
Afforded all of the favours positioned sixth on the fence, it was always going to be a case of Cosmic Endeavour just needing clear running in the straight.
Held up briefly after having turned for home, it wasn’t long before Berry forced Cosmic Endeavour into open space.
Cosmic Endeavour after her cosy run in transit was full of running and responded well for the talented young hoop.
The pair overpowered the likes of Catkins and Steps In Time in the final 100m whilst also holding off late challenges from Angel Of Mercy and Avoid Lightning who each were closing well.
Cosmic Endeavour claimed herself a valuable top level victory as Angel Of Mercy and Avoid Lightning also opened up their respective Group 1 black type accounts.
Defending Tattersall’s Tiara winner Red Tracer could only manage sixth and has subsequently been retired.
Last Saturday’s Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara came in right around the prior five year winning average of the event.
Cosmic Endeavour’s win also continued the latest dominance of fillies in the Tattersall’s Tiara with four of the past five renewals claimed by the three-year-olds.
Despite arriving in Queensland so late into her preparation, Cosmic Endeavour has gone to a new level during a pair of runs in the Sunshine State.
Her Dane Ripper Stakes win yielded a Timeform rating of 115.
It was a new master figure for the filly at the time but last Saturday exceeded it by one pound.
The win was Gai Waterhouse’s first Tattersall’s Tiara success and seventh for the season.
It was her 125th Group 1 victory and Racing’s First Lady now sits third on the all time Group 1 winners’ list behind just her father Tommy Smith and Bart Cummings.
Currently in England, Waterhouse has enjoyed a brilliant 2013/14 season which of course was headlined by her Melbourne Cup/Sydney Cup double produced in combination with Fiorente and The Offer.
In terms of winners trained, Waterhouse is primed for her most successful season in almost a decade after having saddled up 223 winners in the 2005/06 season.
Waterhouse has trained 160 winners so far this year with just over a month remaining in season 2013/14.
Cosmic Endeavour’s Tattersall’s Tiara success also concludes a career best season for jockey Tommy Berry.
Berry combined with Waterhouse at Group 1 level on four occasions during the 2013/14 season with Cosmic Endeavour, The Offer, Almalad in the J.J Atkins Stakes (1600m) and Diamond Drille who caused a boil over in the Queen Of the Turf Stakes (1600m).
His remaining five Group 1 wins over the course of the Australian 2013/14 premiership season have been recorded overseas with the jockey is developing an impressive reputation for himself both at home and abroad.
Waterhouse and Berry will soon both be back at Tulloch Lodge preparing for the upcoming spring.
Cosmic Endeavour will likely be the last of the trio to return with the filly currently spelling.
She is undoubtedly deserving of the break after a superb nine start campaign which spanned across two seasons and as many states.
Racing so late into the season, it is unclear as to what Cosmic Endeavour’s spring goals will be.
The last two winners of the Tattersall’s Tiara in Red Tracer and Pear Tart have been given short spring preparations aimed at Melbourne fillies and mares features such as the Tristarc Stakes (1400m) and the Myer Classic (1600m).
Red Tracer won both last year’s Tristarc Stakes and the Myer Classic while Pear Tart ran second in the 2012 running of the Tristarc Stakes.
Such a path shapes as the obvious option for Cosmic Endeavour.