3 minute read
It’s a double that James Cummings would say is very close to his heart and he’s quietly confident emerging youngster Tom Kitten can emulate his first Group 1 winner as a solo trainer at Randwick on Saturday.
In partnership with his late grandfather, James Cummings trained Hallowed Crown to win the Group 1 Golden Rose and Randwick Guineas in the 2014/15 season.
But it would be Prized Icon in the 2016 Group 1 $600,000 Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes (1600m) that saw Cummings prepare his first Group 1 winner under his own name and the colt did that on the back up from taking out the Fernhill seven days earlier.
Only three horses have completed that double, Dracula (1998) and March Hare (1993) the others, but in Tom Kitten the Godolphin trainer sees a horse with the potential to step up – much like Prized Icon did.
The colt came from last to win the Fernhill and while Cummings has respect for the horses who came through the Sires' he said on SEN that Tom Kitten deserves his chance.
"He was excellent when he got clear with less than 200m to go on the weekend, he savaged the line first tun at a mile,'' he said.
"He's the only proven miler in the race now. Can that be enough to turn the tables on Militarize? Maybe.
"Don Corleone has been dancing every dance, the Blue Diamond, the Slipper, the Sires' so he'll be pretty tough to beat.
"But Tom Kitten's in that race and he's a chance to really mix it with those horses now we're up to a mile and he has that different form line coming into it."
Nash Rawiller has been on board Tom Kitten in both his wins and was a $9.50 chance with TAB on Thursday.
Cummings said having that run over the distance, with the back up, stands the horse in good stead to cope with a tougher test.
"He's already proven it, but there might be more pressure this week than there was in the Fernhill as expected jumping from a Listed race to a Group 1,'' he said.
"If there's a two-year-old I've got in training that will cope with that added pressure over a mile right now it would be Tom Kitten."
The Group 3 $200,000 Toyota Forklifts Frank Packer Plate (2000m) is an important race for Pericles with Cummings hoping to get a guide on where to point the horse next season.
After his narrow defeat in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas over 2000m, the gelding didn't appear comfortable in the very heavy ground in the ATC Derby so Cummings is being forgiving.
"We're delighted with that horse, he's really going well,'' he said.
"He's got every reason to run a good race here and I can see us targeting some 1600m races for him next preparation.
"But if there is the opportunity to step him up in distance I really want to know that he can run it out strongly now that he is fully fit."
Godolphin stalwart Cascadian has pleased Cummings since his Australian Cup win three weeks ago and if he's able to defend his crown in the $1.5m Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) he would be the first dual winner of the race since Sunline in 2000 and 2002.
