Godolphin trainer James Cummings has a chance to become the first trainer this century to win group 1s in five states in a single season after Paulele finally crowned his career with a storming Winterbottom Stakes win at Ascot on Saturday.
Cummings will lead the group 1 standings at Christmas with seven wins. Four came from Anamoe in Melbourne and Sydney, while Golden Mile and In Secret scored in the Caulfield Guineas and Coolmore Stud Stakes, Melbourne’s premier three-year-old races.
Paulele’s win in Saturday’s Winterbottom Stakes gives trainer James Cummings a crack at a unique feat next year. Credit:Getty
Godolphin’s ‘have horse will race’ attitude will give Cummings the opportunity to win group 1s in Adelaide and Brisbane come May and June next year to complete a unique set.
The minor states only have limited opportunities for group 1 success. It often proves impossible for raiders to beat West Australians on their home turf, which only adds merit to Paulele’s win.
“It’s something you think about [winning group 1s in every state], but it’s obviously very hard to do – it’s hard to win any group 1,” Cummings said. “We just focus on getting our horses to win the right races and for Paulele that win gets him a place on the [breeding] roster, which he deserves.
“It was great to see him come from last like that and will make him an interesting horse for us next year.”
Paulele was unable to overhaul Mazu in the Doomben 10,000 earlier this year but could head back to the Brisbane carnival in 2023.
Paulele’s rating will count him out of the group 1 handicap sprints and he doesn’t really like straight racing, which eliminates a possible jaunt to Dubai and England.
He might be the horse for the Goodwood in Adelaide, at set weights and penalties, and the Brisbane winter carnival, where he was runner-up in the Doomben 10,000 and Kingsford Smith Cup last year.
“He has been a group 1 horse in waiting, we are no longer waiting, which is fantastic,” Cummings said. “We will put a bit of thought into him now.”
Neasham takes Laws Of Indices to Hong Kong
Annabel Neasham admits the task of taking on Golden Sixty on home turf in next month’s Hong Kong International Mile is daunting, but it’s a challenge Laws Of Indices’ owners were happy to accept.
Trainer Annabel Neasham.Credit:Getty
The Power five-year-old will become Neasham’s first international runner and the first Australian-trained horse to run on Hong Kong International day since Comin’ Through in 2018, even though he remains a maiden in his new homeland.
“It’s exciting to have a horse get invited and we had owners that were very keen to go,” Neasham said. “There are Hong Kong-based owners and people who stayed in him when he was over in Ireland that were excited about running in this race.
“He is a group 1 winner in France before he got here and has no luck since arriving. He ran third in the George Ryder Stakes and [has] been a group 1 runner-up in the Toorak Handicap.”
“He is the perfect horse to take because he has been on a plane before and is so casual.”
Annabel Neasham
James McDonald, who made the charge to just fail on Laws Of Indices in the Caulfield group 1, will ride him in Hong Kong.
Laws Of Indices, who won his group 1 in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville, has earned $850,000 from 12 Australian starts and is coming off running third to Ellsberg in the Five Diamonds, which has proven a great form race.
“He is the perfect horse to take because he has been on a plane before and is so casual,” Neasham said.
“We were tossing up staying for The Ingham, but it’s just a great challenge to head to Hong Kong.
“Golden Sixty is an absolute star over there, so he is going to be tough to beat but Laws Of Indices doesn’t know how to run a bad race.”
Lloyd’s claim down to two kilos after four-timer
Godolphin apprentice Zac Lloyd certainly outrode his three-kilogram claim with a bang on Friday night as he had a four-timer at Canterbury.
He is the least experienced of the terrific trio of apprentices in Sydney this season and will try to outdo defending champion Tyler Schiller and Dylan Gibbons for the junior rider title this season.
Lloyd is the son of Jeff, who won Brisbane premierships and rode 96 group 1 winners around the world, but has quickly made a name for himself with the backing of Godolphin. However, he is kept grounded by still having to do stable duties at Warwick Farm.
Zac Lloyd is in rare form.Credit:Getty
“He has been made to do boxes again a couple of times,” trainer James Cummings said. “But you would go a long way to see four rides like he gave on Friday night.”
Lloyd has earned a place as a regular in the Sydney jockey’s room, and is riding with a 22 percent strike rate, but will be out of action until the Canterbury night meeting on December 9 due to suspension.
Meanwhile, Schiller only has six wins left until he loses his claim in the city and sits second behind James McDonald on the jockey’s premiership after a double at Rosehill on Saturday.
Remarkably, Schiller has only ridden three favourites in his past 50 rides: King Frankel when he won at Newcastle earlier in the month, Miss Kirribilli and Dream Runner, which was an unlucky Country Classic runner-up.
He is going to get a lot better rides this summer.
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