Strong line up in Australia for Godolphin’s first G1 wins of 2020
MELBOURNE: A resilient Avilius, a coiled and primed Bivouac, a highly-responsive Microphone and the classy, in-form mares Alizee and Savatiano are all on track to give Godolphin its first G1 successes for 2020 on Saturday.
The appearance of Avilius in the G1 Australian Cup at Flemington is backed by a solid performance at the same level a week ago and the confidence of a trainer who has already guided him to three top-level wins.
“Since he ran in the Chipping Norton last week we’ve been looking for
the clues that would tell us he’d pulled up well and that everything was as I wanted for him to run in Group One’s on successive weekends,” said trainer James Cummings.
“And the signs are all good.”
While the task confronting Avilius is considerable, he has accomplished the same feat previously, winning the G1 Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill last April, followed by a three-length victory a week later in the G1 Tancred Stakes.
Avilius finished a fine fourth to Te Akau Shark in the G1 Chipping Norton at Randwick and Cummings has conducted a close examination of that performance, and of his horse, in the week since.
“He was briefly held up last week and the winner was able to use his turn of foot to good advantage,” he said.
“It was the run of a horse looking for 2,000m and we’re looking forward to him being the hunter rather than the hunted on Saturday.”
In Australia’s major handicap sprint, the G1 Newmarket Handicap, Bivouac will attempt to amend his form of two weeks earlier when he endured a luckless run in the Oakleigh Plate.
The winner of the G1 Golden Rose in the spring, Bivouac finished sixth in the Caulfield race when resuming and is bound to be fitter and well-suited down the Flemington straight course.
“Hopefully he can camp a bit closer to the lead than he did last start,” Cummings said.
“His work on Tuesday had some electricity about it. He’s coiled up, tuned up, wound up and ready to show what a brilliant colt he is.”
A further two G1s at Randwick are likely to have significant implications for the future of the Godolphin participants, particularly Microphone who is looking to add the Randwick Guineas to his credentials before he begins a stud career.
“I feel he might be a bit more focussed for this race and I’ve got great confidence in him being competitive against these colts,” Cummings said.
“We’re looking forward to watching him rise to the challenge.”
Microphone finished his initial racing season as Australian’s highest-rated juvenile and the best of his three runs this time in has been a victory in the G2 Autumn Stakes at Caulfield.
Also on the G1 trail are the proven performers Alizee and the rising star Savatiano.
Alizee, a three-time G1 winner, scored her 10th victory last time out in the G2 Apollo Stakes, a race she controlled throughout.