Cummings eyes four G1 races at Royal Randwick
DUBAI: James Cummings has already prepared three G1 winners this autumn, but the Godolphin Australia head trainer is keen to grow that tally at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Fresh from Cylinder, Zapateo and Cascadian liting his list of career G1 race wins to 45, seven Cummings-trained gallopers are entered in the four big G1 events this weekend.
Weather permiting, ater the forecast of a ‘rain bomb’ to hit Sydney late this week, Pericles and Golden Mile will run in the G1 Doncaster Mile.
At Cabin and Cylinder should contest the G1 TJ Smith Stakes over 1,200m, with juvenile Traffic Warden to tackle the G1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes.
Three-year-old colt Tom Kiten could clash with stablemate Zardozi in the G1 ATC Australian Derby, if the stable decides to target the Derby with the only filly in the field.
Pericles and Golden Mile are outsiders in Doncaster Mile beting markets but Cummings said both were over the odds.
“I think it would be difficult to find a horse who is training beter than Pericles at Osborne Park,” the trainer said.
“Pericles has got the build-up that he needed to have.
“I think it’s quite suitable for Pericles, a very good miler who I wouldn’t rule out being a solid 2,000m horse.
“There’s something to be said for having a good mile-and-a-quarter horse for the Doncaster.
“We are continuing to mix it up (gear) with Golden Mile.
“The horse ran third-up in the George Ryder and he’s improved massively since then.
“He is already a (G1) Caulfield Guineas winner, he ran so well in a Golden Eagle and the Epsom (third) is right up there with his best performance ever.”
At Cabin appeared disappointing when well beaten in The Galaxy last start but has continued to please Cummings on the training track, while Cylinder returns from an unplaced run in the G1 William Reid Stakes – where he didn’t appear to handle the Moonee Valley circuit.
“He’s got that enormous performance in a Caulfield Guineas Prelude on a wet track, At Cabin strolled in that day,” Cummings said.
“He was excellent first-up in the Challenge (Stakes) at weight-for-age over five furlongs, which was too short for the horse.
“We get back to Randwick where the horse is only going to feel good about himself.
“The only thing that I can tell you from trackwork is that people around the horse are only worried about being too enthusiastic about the horse because they are worried about puting the mock on him.
“There is barely a horse out here (Osborne Park) who is training as well as At Cabin.
“Cylinder is just a very good horse, but this race poses more questions than answers.
“You’ve got to include Cylinder in the mix despite his effort in the William Reid (Stakes), that’s not Cylinder.
“I like to think back to the effort of finishing a length off them (The Everest) when he was still only a spring three-year-old.”