3 minute read
Trainer and jockey quotes following the Group 1 TAB Australian Cup won by Cascadian at Flemington on Saturday.
Race Result:
1st: Cascadian (J Cummings/B Melham) - $4F
2nd: Numerian (A Neasham/J Mott) - $11
3rd: Pounding (P Moody/L Nolen) - $26
Winning Time: 2:01.43 Last 600m: N/A
Margins: ¾ Length x ¾ Length
"It's the Cummings name again in the Australian Cup."
— Racing.com (@Racing) March 25, 2023
What a performance from Cascadian! @godolphin @BMelham pic.twitter.com/iZgOPWMHv5
Winning Trainer: James Cummings
On what the win means to the horse: "He deserves another big Group 1. He's a wonderful horse and he's a credit to his Highness Sheikh Mohammed to be winning a big weight-for-age race on a big day in Melbourne at Flemington and I'm just so proud of the entire team.
On joining his grandfather and brother on the Australian Cup honour roll: "I'm privileged as a young Cummings to be here on the big stage and have competitors in races like these.
"I had a very stern meeting with my brother Edward yesterday and talked to him about how I might be able to go about winning this and at the conclusion of it he said, 'you go and win it this year and I'll be back to win it next year'.
"That's the beauty of having the confidence that we are in these races and we've got the teams behind us to be competitive.
"He's a great horse Cascadian, he's now a Doncaster winner, an All Aged Stakes winner and he pops the Australian Cup on his mantle."
Where to next: "I suppose I could run the horse in three weeks in the All Aged - he's so adaptable, he'd run well - but that is looking like one of the races of the carnival.
"I don't mind the idea of laying away in the Queen Elizabeth and saving for him for a turn of foot and if he gets through he gets through and he might give the Japanese horse a scare.
"One thing about Cascadian, he beat Montefilia third-up last prep over 2000 by further than Dubai Honour. He might beat Dubai Honour."
Winning Jockey: Ben Melham
On the win: "I was confident enough, I had the right hoses in front of me, and we wanted to duck and weave on him because, watching his tapes, we feel that's how he races best (because) being wide and exposed, he's had a lot of goes ere at Flemington and he's never won one.
"He's such an honest horse and to be on the quick back-up from the mile to the 2000…going to the gates he was that bloody fresh I nearly couldn't hold him going to the barriers.
"James has done a tremendous job to bring him here in that condition and to back up his All Star Mile run with a sensational win like this is fantastic."
On what the win means: "Jamie (Kah, partner) won the Doncaster on him and I got a bit of advice off her how to ride him and she's probably in hospital watching - she's not supposed to be - but she can't get the Racing.com channel off.
"It was special and more so for the horse as well, he's been deserving of a Group 1 here at Flemington and what a race to do it in."
Beaten Jockeys:
Craig Newitt (Regal Power): "Very disappointing. He had a nice run and we blended straightening, but he went down the straight like he wasn't genuine."
Jordan Childs (Nonconformist): "He ran as well as he could from the gate. He had a soft enough run, but he probably needs softer."
Blake Shinn (Emissary): "On face value he was disappointing. He got back, which we were always going to be. He's just not hitting the line like I think he can."
Beau Mertens (Smokin' Romans): "He ran really good. We had a lovely run, got pestered a bit in the second-half of the race, but he's a brave horse and ran really well."
Jamie Mott (Numerian): "Super proud of his effort. I thought we had it run, bar the last few strides. He's been beaten by a pretty good horse. Disappointing, but the horse has gone terrific."
Damien Oliver (Hezashocka): "He ran well. He didn't get a lot of room and possibly could have finish a half-length, a length closer, but there just wasn't a lot of room for him to move."
Luke Nolen (Pounding): "Terrific. He continues to run well this bloke but I think that's the end of his prep, but it's been a hell of a prep."
Michael Dee (Lunar Flare): "We were going pretty good. We got on the back of the Te Akau horse (Campionessa), but the winner has actually shut us out of the run. She got knocked down at a crucial stage and up until that point we were going pretty well."
Patrick Moloney (El Patroness): "Desperately unlucky. She should have finished a lot closer and would have made it quite interesting. The slow tempo was against and she flopped out of the barriers."
Harry Coffey (Steinem): "Had a nice run and got into a good rhythm but when I pulled out to make my run, she was one-paced and whacked away. She might have raced a little bit flat today."
Jye McNeil (Bank Maur): "He had a lovely run but just didn't back-up today."
Blaike McDougall (Virtuous Circle): "I wasn't able to build a gallop at any stage from the low draw. He's a nice horse but he just needs an ounce of luck."
(Yaphet): "Was just a little bit flat today."
Opie Bosson (Campionessa): "We got a beautiful run throughout. We got out at the right time and I thought we were a chance, but she just didn't finish off, but she was good."
Daniel Stackhouse (Bear Story): "Tough run."
