In defeat, trainer Michael Freedman summed up the cosmic change of the Sydney spring after he watched Communist get run down by Godolphin star Golden Mile in the Callander-Presnell at Randwick on Saturday.
“You set your horse for a $1 million race and get it right, and run into the Caulfield Guineas winner,” Freedman lamented. “I knew he was good, but I thought my bloke could test him if there was a clink, and he did. But he was just a bit too tough for us. It just shows how things have changed.”
Hugh Bowman steers Golden Mile (centre) to victory in the Callander-Presnell.Credit:Getty
Hugh Bowman was given a clean sheet to ride Golden Mile as he liked and he showed off the talented Astern colt coming from back in the field to be too strong for Communist as the pair singled out in a duel in the final 200m.
Bowman had Golden Mile perfectly balanced as he rolled into the race three-wide coming to the turn and showed his toughness when Basquiat attempted to come out on him at the turn.
He held his ground then had a couple of lengths to reel in Communist and, with Bowman coaxing him, he got to Communist and a couple of strikes of the whip saw Golden Mile home.
“I was full of running,” Bowman said. “I just felt Basquiat stepped into my line slightly but because my horse had plenty of gas left and because I hadn’t asked him for any effort at that stage, he was able to cope with that slight bit of bumping and balance up and win with some authority.”
Bowman also noted the joy of having the Caulfield Guineas winner racing in Sydney.
“With the invention of this wonderful race, this Callander-Presnell race, it’s given James Cummings and the Godolphin team an option to come up here and race for huge prizemoney with what is already a very valuable colt,” Bowman said. “To get the opportunity to ride him is an honour and he didn’t let anybody down.”
Communist made Golden Mile earn it but in the end the margin was enough to be significant, if only a long neck, with A Lot More To Love left 2-1/4 lengths.
Godolphin assistant trainer Darren Beadman said saddling Golden Mile he thought he was his dad, Astern.
“You’d swear blind you were saddling up Astern in the stalls,” Beadman said. “He’s got his dad’s head all over, a lovely temperament and he’s a quality colt. His class got him home today again. He has really got that fighting spirit to win when he was just able to work into the race nicely. He is a quality colt and certainly going places.”
There will be more clashes to come for Golden Mile and Communist in the autumn with the Randwick Guineas and Doncaster likely to be on their agenda.
“I think there’s a fair bit of improvement left in my bloke,” Freedman said of Communist. “We got close to a group 1 winner today and we will be seeing a lot more of him in the autumn.”
