CASCADIAN NAILS FINE FINISH FOR CUMMINGS FAMILY
THE Cummings family, the most famous in Australian racing, stole the show training the final two Group 1 winners of the Sydney season to close out the autumn carnival at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Godolphin’s James Cummings prepared Cascadian to win the $600,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m).
Cascadian’s win complemented the success of James’ father, Anthony, who trained She’s Extreme to win the Champagne Stakes earlier on the Randwick program.
It was the second time Anthony and James had trained Group 1 winners on the same day.
They achieved the feat in 2019 when James won the Stradbroke Handicap with Trekking and Anthony trained Prince Of Fawaz to take out the JJ Atkins.
“I remember (Channel 7 sports commentator) Bruce McAvaney told me when I won the Stradbroke and Dad won the J J Atkins it was the first time in Australian history it had ever been done,’’ James said.
“I said to Bruce, well we will get up and do it again one day. It has taken us three years.”
Cascadian’s win gave James a feature race double after his success with Kementari in the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes.
It was Kementari’s rails-hugging win that prompted an interesting exchange between Cummings and jockey James McDonald before the All Aged Stakes.
“I said what did you think of the ride on Kementari?’’ Cummings revealed.
“James said ‘mate if you think I’m going to ride Cascadian like Nash rode Kementari you need to find another jockey’.
“But riding Cascadian today was all about using his energy wisely.
“He had the fitness of a horse that was back from 2000m two runs ago and was going to be fit in a fast-run 1400m.
“It was quite breathtaking really and a special victory for the horse, who has got so much heart. He’s a wonderful horse.’’
Cascadian ($11) defied the track pattern and unleashed a powerful surge to run down a very brave Tofane ($13) with Ellsberg ($11) another 2½ lengths away third.
Forbidden Love was backed into $4.40 favouritism and finished only eighth. She crossed from a wide barrier in a fast-run race and settled outside leader In The Congo – keeping Tofane three-wide without cover – before fading from the turn.
McDonald continued his recordbreaking season with his 10th Group 1 win on Cascadian. He’s won the Melbourne Cup on Verry Elleegant and The Everest on Nature Strip with his rides earning more than $33m which is already a national record.
“I’m just so proud of that horse,’’ McDonald said of Cascadian.
“He’s a tried and true performer, he just arrives on the big days. It was a great training feat obviously 2000m, (to the) mile, (to the) 1400m all the way back, normally it’s the other way round so it’s a huge performance.
“I was very happy in the run but in saying that I was a long way off the speed. He was going to be fighting it out, it was just whether Tofane stole a break.
“We had a few lengths to make up, but I thought Tofane might’ve been suspect at that last little bit and I really started rattling home 100m out.’’