Godolphin’s tough call on their Everest choice
GODOLPHIN trainer James Cummings, buoyed by his stable’s dominance of the Caulfield Guineas, has a pressing decision to lock in their sprinter for the $15 million The TAB Everest on Saturday.
Cummings trained four stakes winners at Caulfield, including dual Group 1 triumphs with Anamoe in the Might And Power Stakes and Golden Mile in the Guineas, while Paulele was impressive beating stablemate Ingratiating in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes.
Brilliant four-year-old Paulele has been widely regarded as Godolphin’s top seed for The Everest but the stable is believed to also be considering Ingratiating and Kementari for its slot.
“Paulele would certainly be a wonderful representative for us in The Everest,’’ Cummings told Big Sports Breakfast Weekend on Sunday.
“But I’m not sure if that is the best decision for Paulele at the moment. We have that conversation to play out on Monday.’’
The Godolphin stable brains trust of Vin Cox, Ross Cole, Jason Walsh and Cummings meet Monday to determine their Everest runner.
Cummings even cheekily floated the possibility of approaching top English jockey Hollie Doyle to ride their brilliant filly In Secret in The Everest if she was selected for the world’s richest turf race.
But Godolphin seems intent on keeping In Secret racing against her own age this spring, with the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day likely to be her next start.
This would leave Godolphin’s Everest choice between the three older, established sprinters. Kementari is firming as their likely pick as he is definitely racing at Randwick on Saturday, in either The Everest or the $2 million Sydney Stakes (1200m).
Cummings also revealed Anamoe and Golden Mile had pulled up well after their bigrace wins on Saturday.
Anamoe’s spring plans are set in stone, it’s all about the $5 million Cox Plate in two weeks for the superstar, but the trainer is still unsure of the immediate racing future of Golden Mile.
Ominously, Cummings said there was improvement to come from Anamoe, who seemed to lose his momentum on the home turn before running down I’m Thunderstruck and Zaaki to win the Might And Power Stakes.
“I think after having three weeks between the George Main Stakes and the Caulfield (Might And Power) Stakes he will be absolutely spot-on fourth-up when we arrive at the Cox Plate in two weeks,’’ Cummings said.
“Anamoe has a history of not handling the (home) turn at Caulfield.”