Racing royalty steps out at Warwick Farm

Wednesday 20 March 2013, 3:24pm

Her record might not show it but trainer Anthony Cummings believes the racing career of blue blood filly Scandiva is running true to form.

With close family ties to Black Caviar and All Too Hard, two of the biggest names in Australian racing, few horses will carry more expectation into Thursday's Warwick Farm meeting than the two-year-old.

Scandiva, with an important gear change, drops in class to run in the Emerald Hills Estate Maiden Plate (1100m).

She will be trying to arrest a sequence of two unplaced runs when she carries blinkers for the first time but assessing her on midfield placings at Caulfield and Warwick Farm is unfair to her potential, according to Cummings.

"For her to be doing what she is doing is a bit of a bonus really," Cummings said.

"It's very early in her career and typically the family improves physically and mentally as they get older."

Scandiva is by Australia's hottest sire Fastnet Rock and her dam is Scandinavia.

Scandinavia is the dam of Helsinge, the mother of Black Caviar and All Too Hard.

Confirming Cummings's point, Black Caviar didn't start racing until she was a late-season two-year-old and the best of All Too Hard has emerged during his sophomore year.

Scandiva raced against a field of Golden Slipper hopefuls at her first Sydney start, finishing just over two lengths in arrears of Whittington in the Lonhro Plate at Warwick Farm.

She was given every chance in the race but Cummings said he thought the filly was intimidated by the experience.

"She was very wary and lacked confidence in the field," he said. "Hopefully the blinkers will sort her out.

"Obviously there is plenty to work with on pedigree and she's definitely got a future."

In a race where six of the 10 runners are first starters, Scandiva will face three recent barrier trial winners in Choisir colt Kudero and Sebring fillies Couteau and Florid Affair.

– AAP

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