Winner of the VRC Crown Oaks last start back in November, Faint Perfume ($5.50) made an excellent return to racing this season in the Kewney Stakes when she beat home roughie Response ($31) by three quarters of a length with John Thompson’s No Evidence Needed ($13) in third.

Ridden by Michael Rodd, Faint Perfume sat near the back of the pack early on before sprinting down the middle of the field in impressive style to come away with her first-up win. With the victory Faint Perfume became the first filly in over 20 years to win the Kewney Stakes first up.

Race favourite, the Peter Snowden-trained Trim ($4) finished a close fourth just ahead of second elect Irish Lights ($4.40) in one of the narrowest top six finishes with only two lengths separating the first six fillies to the post.

Legendary trainer Cummings’ was blessed with his third Kewney Stakes’ victory over the past two decades following his success with Reganza (1990) and Tristalove (1994).

A number of big future races are being considered for the impressive Shamardal filly with Cummings’ and Faint Perfume’s owner Dato Tan Chin Nam looking towards either the $1.3million Group 1 AJC Derby (2400m) on April 10 or the $350, 000 Group 1 AJC Australian Oaks on April 17 as her next feature this autumn before embarking on a Caulfield & Melbourne Cups spring campaign.

Following the 2010 Kewney Stakes, the highly anticipated Group 1 Newmarket Handicap gave Peter Moody’s Wanted his maiden Group 1 win, before the remainder of the meeting had to be cancelled due to the freakish weather.

The remaining two Group 1 features originally scheduled to run at Flemington on Saturday, the $1million Australian Cup and the $750, 000 Australian Guineas, have been transferred onto this Saturday’s Blamey Stakes race card.

2010 Tabcorp Kewney Stakes Results:

Bart Cummings’ in-form Shamardal filly Faint Perfume is making a return to racing following a sensational spring campaign that included two last-start victories at Flemington in the Wakeful Stakes and the Crown Oaks. Faint Perfume has drawn wide with barrier eight and will be ridden by Michael Rodd.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained Gigas looks well positioned to claim a Group victory on Saturday after securing the prized inside running with barrier one. Gigas, who was the runner up in the Angus Armanasco Stakes last start, has won three of her nine career starts and will have Brad Rawiller aboard in the Kewney Stakes.

Another promising starter in the 2010 Kewney Stakes is the Steve Richards-trained Rostova drawn well in barrier three. Rostova had an impressive run in the Rubiton Stakes placing third two starts ago but failed to fire in her follow up race, finishing a distant sixth in the Angus Armanasco Stakes. She will be looking to improve on Saturday and add a second Black Type victory to her résumé to go with her VRC Sires Produce Stakes win.

Fomalite is another talented filly ready to fight for the Kewney Stakes win on Saturday. The Shane Fliedner-trained daughter of Fomalhaut is seeking the second victory of her career.

David Hayes’ classy Irish Lights, the Peter Snowden-trained Trim and John Thompson’s No Evidence Needed are also worth keeping an eye on starting in barriers seven, four and six respectively.

There is an incredible line-up of nine races due to run at the meeting, headlined by three Group 1 races – the $1 million Newmarket Handicap, $1 million Darley Australian Cup and the $750, 000 Australian Guineas.

2010 Tabcorp Kewney Stakes Final Field & Barriers

The three headline events at the meeting are $1 million Group 1 Newmarket Handicap, $1 million Australian Cup and the $750, 000 Australian Guineas, but the 2010 Tabcorp Kewney Stakes has also drawn a start studded lot of nominations.

A larger than capacity field of 18 fillies have been nominated for Saturday’s set weights feature including Bart Cumming’s impressive Crown Oaks winner Faint Perfume.

The Kewney Stakes will be Faint Perfume’s first race start since taking out the Crown Oaks at Flemington in November last year and Cummings is hoping the three-year-old daughter of Shamardal will pick up where she left off.

David Hayes has his consistent Fastnet Rock filly Irish Lights nominated for the Kewney Stakes on Saturday as well in the Group 1 Australian Guineas.

Other classy females nominated for the 2010 Kewney Stakes include the Gai Waterhouse-trained Angus Armanasco Stakes runner-up Gigas and three top chances from local trainer John Thompson – Linky Dink, So Anyway and No Evidence Needed.

The final field of 16 fillies for the 2010 Kewney Stakes will be announced later in the week and published here.

2010 Tabcorp Kewney Stakes Nominations:

On March 6 the Kewney Stakes will be run over 1400m for the first time, after the race distance was shortened from 1600m in an attempt to attract a higher quality of filly sprinters.

Although many of Australia’s premier middle-distance fillies will chose to go up against an open field in the more prestigious Australian Guineas on the same day, the Kewney Stakes is still sure to be an exciting event.

The David Hayes-trained filly Irish Lights has been nominated for the Australian Guineas, but the premier trainer has suggested that a run in the Kewney Stakes may be a more likely next step for the three-year-old who impressed many with her 1000 Guineas win back in October.

Classy filly Fomalite will be amongst the 2010 Kewney Stakes nominations

Classy filly Fomalite will also be amongst the 2010 Kewney Stakes nominations. Although she has only won one of her ten race starts, Bendigo trainer Shane Fliedner hopes she can return to the form that saw her place in the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) last campaign.

The Kewney Stakes is programmed as the fifth race at the meeting’s cracker nine-race line up.

Nominations for the Kewney Stakes and all the other races held on the Super Saturday of Racing close at noon on Monday March 1. The final field will then be announced on Thursday March 4.