SPORT Avilius home in a canter
JAMES Cummings, trainer of Avilius, wasn’t being arrogant when he declared: “He’s had a $1.5million canter.’’
This was an apt description of Avilius’s demolition of his rivals in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes ( 2400m) at Rosehill Gardens yesterday.
The prestigious weight-forage race was more like a trackwork gallop for Avilius, who was simply classes above his rivals.
Avilius was so good it prompted the obvious question to Cummings: “Would Avilius clash with Winx in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in two weeks?”
“More than likely we knew he’d be in the paddock after this,’’ Cummings said.
“He still holds a nomination in the Queen Elizabeth but in my opinion I’ll put him in a paddock now.
“The preparation he’s had has been magnificent.”
Avilius ($1.60 favourite), ridden by James McDonald, backed up from his Ranvet Stakes win to complete the Group 1 weight-for-age double by taking out the Tancred Stakes with a comfortable 2¼ lengths margin.
Big Duke ($12) gave trainer Kris Lees another Group 1 second placing after Frankely Awesome was runner-up in the Vinery Stud Stakes with Rondinella ($20) a half neck away third.
Trainer Chris Waller and McDonald both concede Verry Elleegant is still a work in progress but that didn’t stop the filly proving a class above her rivals in the Group 1 $500,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m). But despite her dominant display, Waller ruled out starting the filly against the “boys’’ in the ATC Australian Derby (2400m) next Saturday.