3 minute read

The Melbourne Cup may have been run and won only eight days ago but Ballarat-based trainer Matt Cumani is already planning for his assault on next year’s race with the lightly-raced Future Score.

The imported son of Cape Cross runs in the $250,000 Group 2 Zipping Classic at Sandown on Saturday with Cumani eyeing a rating's increase to ensure he is not leaving it to chance to gain a Cup berth. 

Future Score  won the Listed Cranbourne Cup (2025m) last month before finishing third behind Ashrun and Sound in the Group 3 Hotham Stakes (2500m) chasing a last ditch bid into this year's Cup. 

In hindsight it worked out well that Future Score missed a Cup start as Cumani said the gelding puts so much into his races that he is left jaded. 

"He freshens up nicely after a week or so but a couple of days after his races he's a little bit flat," Cumani told RSN927. 

"So, it's good where possible to pad out his races. 

"It looks like quite a tough race for him and the weight, it would have been better for him to go into a handicap, but the target for him is the Melbourne Cup next year. 

"We might try and pick his racing up a touch and not try and rely on a 'win and you're in' in between now and then. 

"In earnest, if he wants to be heading to a Melbourne Cup, he needs to be competitive in a race like this." 

Having faced the starter only 18 times, for six wins, Cumani sees the benefit of getting Future Score competing in better race. 

However, he is also aware that if he is to win on Saturday it will make the task of winning open handicaps in the future that much tougher. 

"I can see him improving a fair bit, but if he happens to win on Saturday his rating will go up a bit and that will make it a bit harder to win open handicaps between now and next year," Cumani said. 

"The aim is to get him into the Cup, so a rise in the handicap rating won't be a bad thing." 

Future Score sits on the third line of betting at $5 behind Godolphin galloper Avilius at $3.80 and Sound at $4.20 for Saturday's weight-for-age contest. 

Cumani is expecting a better performance from another imported stayer San Huberto who runs in the $150,000 Listed Sandown Cup (3200m). 

San Huberto will be having his second outing for Cumani having beaten one home in the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) last month. 

Cumani said he has learned a lot more about San Huberto since that performance. 

"There is a stark difference between his gallops when he leads and sits in behind," Cumani said. 

"At Geelong they didn't go slow, but there were good horses in front of him and at 2400 metres he couldn't get into the race. 

"I would expect to see a serious improvement over the longer distance having done some more work and with that race under the belt."