As a half-sister to dual Group I winner Fiveandahalfstar by champion sire Fastnet Rock, Word Games (3f Fastnet Rock x Cryptic Miss, by Snippets) was an interesting winner at Canterbury on Wednesday.
Trained by James Cummings, Word Games led all the way on heavy ground and fought hard to the line to win the 1550 metre maiden by half length, successfully coming back in trip from a last start second at Hawkesbury over 2000 metres.
"I watched the mile and a quarter run with Duncan Ramage at Hawkesbury and we decided that she still had the sharpness to be coming back in distance and running very well," Cummings said.
"She had the rail to follow today whereas at Hawkesbury she had to make her run down the outside fence which is pretty hard for an inexperienced filly like her to do.
"She's a half-sister to Fiveandahalfstar (VRC Derby & BMW winner) so that metropolitan win on the board is very important."
Word Games was a $380,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Willow Park draft for Duncan Ramage’s DGR Thoroughbreds and runs for a partnership of breeders who include Matthew Sandblom in whose colours she runs.
Word Games is a full sister to Group III placed Wordplay and half-sister to $2.6 million earner Fiveandahalfstar being the fourth winner from Cryptic Miss.
The yearling full sister to Word Games was sold by Coolmore at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale on Tuesday fetching $350,000 to the bid of Phoenix Thoroughbreds.
Cryptic Miss has a weanling filly to follow also by Fastnet Rock and will foal to him again this spring.
