Alizee tipped to show her class
GODOLPHIN trainer James Cummings is relying on Alizee’s sheer class to overcome her stamina limitations in the Group 1 $500,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens tomorrow.
Alizee hasn’t raced beyond 1600m in her 12-start career and goes into the fillies classic after finishing well back in the Coolmore Classic.
But Cummings maintains there were excuses for Alizee’s last start flop and noted the filly was well placed in the Vinery Stud Stakes at level weights.
“There’s not too many op- portunities for her to run against three-year-old fillies at set weights at this level,’’ Cummings explained.
“I feel like that having been blocked for a run in the Coolmore where she was lovely and relaxed, she looks like she can conserve her energy over this trip.
“There’s no doubt that she’s got a lot of power and she’s a filly with a brilliant turn of foot.
“If she can hold it together and be ready to unleash a big final furlong it would be interesting to see how difficult it will be for her opposition to hold her out late.”
Alizee, attempting to join Norzita (2013) as the only win- ners of the Flight Stakes-Vinery Stud Stakes double in the last 25 years, is equal second favourite at $6 with Aloisia in early TAB Fixed Odds betting behind Unforgotten, the $4.80 favourite.
Godolphin has a powerful three-year-old team this season with Cummings confident Astoria will prove hard to beat in the Group 2 $200,000 Tulloch Stakes (2000m).
Astoria, a third placegetter in the Victoria Derby last spring and the stable’s main hope for the ATC Australian Derby next week, has been improved by three runs from a spell, according to Cummings.
“I think he’s really primed for one of his best runs this time in and it should be the perfect race to get him back into the winners’ circle,’’ Cummings declared.
Interlocutor, Duca Valentinois and Spectroscope give the Cummings stable a strong presence in the Group 3 $150,000 Doncaster Prelude (1500m).
“I think Interlocutor will be very hard to beat, he might just be the best of our chances,’’ Cummings said.
“He’s up in the weights now, but he had a nice trial between runs.
“Duca Valentinois has been galloping strongly against some pretty good stablemates leading up to this race and I feel like he has the chance, third-up, to show his best.”