PHONE TO RUN HOT
JAMES Cummings has a lot of faith in Microphone and thinks the colt can begin his final campaign by winning the Group 2 Australia Stakes at The Valley in Melbourne tonight.
Cummings realises Microphone faces a decent challenge taking on a field of talented older horses, including four Group 1 winners.
“I think he can win. It’s a solid sort of race taking on the likes of Hey Doc, Scales Of Justice and Begood Toya Mother. He’s playing with the big boys,” Cummings said.
“He’s getting back to the races with a solid foundation. He should be very forward for this and I think he’s spot-on.”
Microphone, who will be ridden by Damian Lane, is a $5.50 chance in Ladbrokes’ market.
Cummings said Microphone had enjoyed a good break after having only the one run in the spring.
He finished third in the Roman Consul Stakes at Randwick behind Cosmic Force and the plan was to run him in the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
But Cummings wasn’t happy with his blood tests and decided not to tackle the Group 1 race.
“That’s a race you’d need to be 100 per cent to run in. I decided to err on the side of caution,” he said.
After Microphone’s two-yearold season, Timeform rated him equal best of his age group with Castelvecchio.
In his last two runs as a juvenile, he finished second in the Golden Slipper and won the ATC Sires Produce Stakes.
“He was a fantastic two-yearold who just kept on improving both physically and ability-wise,’’ Cummings said.
run kept races.” “He Cummings his pushing was best able run said him to even make he into though would his richer last we be guided as to by what what races happened Microphone tonight would tackle in his last campaign.
Godolphin will stand him at stud next season.
Godolphin this week announced the retirement of top sprinter Osborne Bulls.
“I’d have loved to see him get a Group 1 win for his sake but five second-placings at that level show he deserved to be regarded among the elite sprinters of his generation,” Cummings said of the sixyear-old gelding.
HISTORY SAYS
Five three-year-olds have won the race this century. •Only two favourites have won in the past 10 years — Black Caviar at $1.02 in 2012 and Whispering Brook last year at $3.20.
STRATEGY
Split your bets between HEY DOC and MICROPHONE.
THE TRAINER
JAMES CUMMINGS
MICROPHONE (No.9) “He has enjoyed a good break where he returned to the farm for a foundation of strength and fitness, then on to Melbourne for some serious gallops. A recent trip to Moonee Valley will be beneficial and a slick closing trial at Flemington should have him close to spot-on for this assignment.”