Racing WA
Cosmic Crusader

Highlights from Belmont Park 20/09

22 September 2025

Despite sitting in the second half of the field over 1000m, Playin'it Sweet ($6.50 TABtouch) sprinted sharply first-up to land an opening blow for trainer Adam Durrant.

Tracking Snitzalatte ($1.80f) into the bend, Lucy Fiore probed between runners passing the 200m while her more fancied stablemate came to the outside.

The daughter of Playing God came away to beat her chief rival by a half-length and is sure to be better suited with a further rise in distance over the coming weeks.

Race Replay/Interview Here

Black Ora ($3.50) showed coming from the back over 1000m was no problem in the next event, supplying Adam Durrant with an early double.

Still last on the turn, William Pike picked his way through the pack at the 250m and chased out after Bonnie Lad ($8) to beat the ex-Durrant galloper by a head.

Race Replay/Interview Here

By the third event, it was beginning to feel like Groundhog Day as the Durrant-prepared Hymns Of Eladdair ($5) got back and started to thread through the field early in the straight.

In a case of déjà vu, Fiore dashed the five-year-old past another Gangemi-trained galloper late, this time frequent bridsmaid Go Go Grommet ($4), to win by a half-neck.

Race Replay/Interview Here

The only difference in race four is that Pike parked Kay Tee Why ($1.60f) more prominently, settling the Durrant-trained four-year-old one-out and one-back.

Whizzing past Ginnivan ($6.50) at the 150m, the son of Nicconi blitzed away over the concluding part to defeat him by more than a length.

Race Replay/Interview Here

The Durrant show was forced to come to a half in the fifth contest as he was left without a representative in the day's feature, the $100,000 TABtouch Stakes (1650m).

It was probably for the best he didn't as Christ himself may have struggled to overcome Cosmic Crusader ($1.28f), who delivered one of the most bloodless beatings on a WA racecourse.

Pouncing on the early supremacy, the lightly raced five-year-old travelled powerfully at the helm and had his rivals at it even 600m from home.

Gently nudged into action by Clint Johnston-Porter around the final bend, the son of Maurice shot into action, putting lengths on his opposition in a matter of bounds.

Notwithstanding Johnston-Porter's motionless figure over the final 100m, the bay bludgeoned the field by eight and a half lengths.

It sent him to clear $3 favouritism for Ascot's Railway Stakes (1600m) on November 22.

Race Replay/Interview Here

Be Bardot ($3.60) continued the large theme of the day with first-up runners coming to the fore, nipping out of the leader's back pocket around the home turn to win.

With Pike at work over the final few hundred metres, the five-year-old mare stomped away with a three-length success.
Near the tail with only 400m to go, Decision Maker ($13) still had plenty to do in the seventh race.

But while Shmoov Moova ($3.40) was trapped in traffic, Brad Parnham wound the four-year-old son of Playing God up down the outside, gathering in Antique Star ($6.50) to salute by a half-neck.

Eliteone ($4.80) produced a mighty performance seven days ago, sticking on strongly to finish third after sustaining a tough run three wide without cover.

This week, even with 100m to go, the five-year-old had significant ground to make up on Immortal Bliss ($2.70f) and King Adviso ($5.50) but rocketed to grab the pair in the dying strides under Johnston-Porter.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY

Cosmic Crusader's decimation of some capable horses in the TABtouch Stakes. Bob Peters has accumulated some stars in a glittering list of horses through his stable, particularly over the last decade. However, this horse showed all indications that he could be among the very best.

 

HORSE TO FOLLOW

Daylight (Race 5)
A good second placing to Cosmic Crusader. I'm kidding.

Romantic Ruler (Race 7)
Most eyes will have been drawn to race favourite Shmoov Moova but this horse was equally disappointed for runs and hit the line with gusto. Can play a part at odds next time out.

Hayden King