By Craig Kerry
As his time in charge of Godolphin’s Australian team winds down, James Cummings believes his strong contingent for the Scone standalone meeting on Saturday is in good shape.
And if history is any guide, that’s bad news for Godolphin’s rivals.
Since Cummings took over as head trainer after the 2017 Scone carnival, Godolphin have won at least one feature on the annual Saturday card every year except 2021.
“It’s a big weekend in Scone and it’s always well supported,” said Cummings, who will rejoin the public ranks after July 31 as Godolphin move away from a private training model.
“And it’s a great opportunity for the breeders and the racing stables to get together. It’s a really popular race card, big fields and it’s true we make an effort to target the meeting.”
Godolphin’s success includes winning the past three Denise’s Joy Stakes (1100m) – with Commemorative, Red Card and Zapateo – and they hold a strong hand in the listed three-year-old fillies race on Saturday with Thames and Photograph.
Thames, second in her past three starts, all in Victoria, was a $4.60 second-elect with Sportsbet behind Matt Laurie’s unbeaten Soft Love ($3.40).
James Cummings trained at Leilani Lodge before linking with Godolphin in 2017.Credit: Getty Images
“She’s probably a preparation away, but she’s suited by dropping in the weights compared to the last time she met Soft Love, and the gap between runs will be in her favour because she’s still getting there,” Cummings said.
“I’d say this will be the last run of her campaign, so it would be great to go out with a win. She’s drawn wide, but we’d be very hopeful that horses are storming up the middle with success on the day.”
Last-start winner Photograph ($12) has also drawn wide but looks likely to get favourable conditions with Scone rated a Soft 6 on Friday.
“Photograph is full of confidence, coming off a barnstorming victory on a heavy track at Canterbury,” Cummings said.
In the day’s biggest race, the group 3 Dark Jewel Classic (1400m), Zeitung was into equal favouritism at $5. The filly steps up to open mares company after finishing third in the Hawkesbury Guineas.
“I liked her effort in the Hawkesbury Guineas because she turned around what appeared a lacklustre race in the JB Carr Stakes,” Cummings said.
“And I felt she enjoyed more sting out of the ground at Hawkesbury.”
Cummings has four in the Ortensia Stakes, which was thrown open by the scratching of favourite Clear Thinking. Pisanello ($8.50) leads the Godolphin charge also featuring Renosu ($13), Contemporary ($18) and Fleetwood ($17).
“He’s drawn to cover ground, but he’s really flying and it’s important he just gets into a good rhythm with genuine tempo in the race, which we believe there will be,” Cummings said of Pisanello.
“I love that he was so good from a difficult position at Canterbury last time, heading into this target race where he will have the length of the Scone straight to balance up and reel them in.
“Contemporary is feeling very well and it’s not beyond him to win a race first up. I felt Renuso was very good at Canterbury, and he improves vastly second up. Fleetwood is going to be a better horse when he gets his toe into the ground.”
Veteran Tamerlane ($27) is the stable’s hope in the Luskin Star Stakes.
Cummings has applied for the Leilani Lodge stables at Randwick made famous by his grandfather, Bart. The Australian Turf Club board will review expressions of interest in the 55-box stables at its meeting on May 26. James’ father, Anthony, was forced out of the stables after losing his trainer’s licence.
