Racing: Bart bags another group one

MELBOURNE - Top trainer Bart Cummings has done it again with Faint Perfume giving him his 257th group one success winning the A$1 million VRC Oaks at Flemington yesterday.

Ridden by Michael Rodd, Faint Perfume dropped out to last at the start and was still well back rounding the home turn in the 2500m classic.

She moved up to challenge Valdemoro, who had taken the lead at the top of the straight, at the 300m and drew clear to beat that filly convincingly by a neck. Savsbelle was a distant third.

Faint Perfume's win was Cummings' fourth group one of the Melbourne spring carnival after the victories of Allez Wonder in the Toorak Handicap, Viewed in the Caulfield Cup and So You Think in the Cox Plate.

Amazingly, it was the 81-year-old trainer's 81st group one success at Flemington. "She's a very good staying filly," Cummings said. "She's got a big heart."

It was Faint Perfume's third win from seven starts and took her prizemoney to more than A$860,000.

She joins his other Oaks winners: Light Fingers (1964), Sanderae (1970), Leica Show (1974), Taj Eclipse (1983), Tristanagh (1989), Weekend Delight (1990), Richfield Lady (1991) and Magical Miss (2001).

- AAP