The $1.1 million first prizemoney for winning the group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) with El Castello could not have come at a better time for trainer Anthony Cummings, who has been grilled by stewards in recent weeks over his finances.
Cummings was hit with a show-cause notice after his business, Rosscarbery Holdings, went into administration. Stewards met with the Randwick trainer at the start of the week, and inquiries are continuing.
El Castello stretches out in the closing stages of the Spring Champion Stakes.Credit: Getty Images
Any hopes Cummings had of entering into a training partnership with his son, Edward, have been shelved until stewards finalise their investigation.
Cummings was clearly emotional after El Castello and jockey Josh Parr made their move at the top of the straight and triumphed in the group 1 feature.
If El Castello, which has now won four in a row from maiden company to a group 1, pulls up fine on Sunday he will be aimed at the Victoria Derby next Saturday. Victory is sure to add a few zeros to El Castello’s stud value.
“This is what you do it for,” said Cummings when it was pointed out that it had been a tough time for him in recent months.
“All the other stuff is a headache sometimes; you work your way through different things at different times. At the end of the day, we are here to train horses, win races and have a good time. That’s what we’re doing.”
As for the Derby, Cummings said: “The preparation was designed for him to back up. He’s ticked every box so far, so I can’t see a reason why he wouldn’t.”
Unlucky Democracy to try luck in wild west
The owners of Riff Rocket, a Caulfield and Melbourne Cups contender who died following complications after colic surgery last month, had reason to smile when Lindermann carried their purple and white colours to victory in the group 3 Craven Plate.
Lindermann was scratched from the Five Diamonds Prelude later in the program after he drew poorly, and did well to hold off fast-finishing stablemate Democracy Manifest.
Democracy Manifest was bailed up at the top of the straight, and Nash Rawiller did his best to push the horse into the clear. Joao Moreira also had to work hard to get Lindermann into the clear.
While Lindermann eyes the Five Diamonds (1800m) in a fortnight, Democracy Manifest is set to try his luck in the west.
“He’s due a big one,” Chris Waller’s stable chief Charlie Duckworth said.
Belclare sizzles as group 1 winner tanks
Bjorn Baker’s Belclare smashed Espiona’s class record by a second to win the $2 million The Invitation – but what has happened to Zougotcha?
The three-time group 1 winner was just pipped by Via Sistina in the group 1 Winx Stakes nine weeks ago but ran poorly second-up, then finished well down the track on Saturday in a performance that left jockey Joao Moreira stumped.
“From the start I even had to niggle her; into the straight, I put her under some severe pressure, but she just faded,” Moreira said.
Cheers to Prost
Prost is expected to be put away and aimed at the Randwick Guineas after holding out Just Party in the group 2 Callander-Presnell (1600m).
The race was named after legendary racing writers Ken Callander and Max Presnell. For the record, Callander, 80 at the end the year, backed Prost, but 84-year-old Presnell didn’t.
Asked for a tip, Presnell told us: “Good losers die broke.”
Amazing run of seconds finally ends for Ryan
Trainer Gerald Ryan’s horses had finished second in the Brian Crowley Stakes no fewer than six times since his last win in the race – and for a brief moment he must have thought stewards were going to relegate him to runner-up yet again.
Amazing Eagle did well to lead all the way and fend off all rivals in the three-year-old feature.
Jockey Adam Hyeronimus, who rode second placegetter Manos, later lodged a protest with stewards, claiming Amazing Eagle and jockey Tyler Schiller had shifted in and denied him a crucial run approaching the 100m.
“There was no duty of care whatsoever,” Hyeronimus said of Schiller’s actions.
But stewards believed Hyeronimus had ample room to keep charging along the rails, and that it was his decision to switch back to the outside on Manos.
Amazing Eagle has always looked a star in his barrier trials – he started odds-on favourite on debut – but was finally able to reproduce it on race day.
Expect the Capitalist colt to eventually pop up in a decent race on Magic Millions Day on the Gold Coast in the new year.
The stable last won the Brian Crowley in 2011 with Hot Snitzel, then finished second with Time For War (2014), Spill The Beans (2015), Star Of Monsoon (2016), Legend Of Condor (2018), Cardiff (2019) and General Salute (2023).
