CUTTING EDGE SLICES THROUGH TO LAND HIS FIRST WIN

By Graham Potter | Friday, December 13, 2024

Cutting Edge added his name to a long list of winners for the Tony and Maddysen Sears stable when he prevailed in a tight finish to win a QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Handicap over 1000m at the Sunshine Coast on December 13.

The lightly raced three-year-old son of Spirit Of Boom, who has been a work in progress, was first-up here in his third preparation … with his previous two preparations only covering five runs.

In those two pervious preparations, Cutting Edge’s first-up run was his best on paper both times, resulting in a third and a second place, but he never threatened to win in either of those results.

This time it would be different.

Easy to back at $7 (Blue Moves was the hot $1.70 favourite), Cutting edge wasn’t the best away but Luke Dempsey rallied his mount quickly enough to have Cutting Edge sitting in sixth place early, three lengths back behind a cluster of horses who were keen to dispute the early lead.

Cutting Edge was still sixth on straightening, locked in momentarily with horses on either side and with a runner directly in front of him. At that stage the strongly supported favourite Blue Moves raced just ahead and to the outside of the Sears trained runner.

Dempsey elected to shift Cutting Edge inwards early in the straight, where he was able to make ground … but then he had to switch his mount in again with 150m left to run, to edge across the heels of the two duelling leaders Absinthe Cat ($11) and Bee Two ($4.40), ultimately reaching the rail where there was enough room for Cutting Edge to unleash his final finishing effort.
That he did under strong urging from Dempsey to a gain a winning advantage with 40m left to run and to go on and score by a hard-fought 0.20 length margin from Absinthe Cat.

The favourite Blue Moves had started his charge in the home straight from a position slightly ahead of Cutting Edge but, in spite of having an uninterrupted run to the line and chasing home steadily, she could not match the effort of Cutting Edge and had to settle for a third place dead-heat with Bee Two.

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