Godolphin 3YOs to the fore on Saturday

Clinton Payne - Thursday August 24

Godolphin trainer James Cummings will trot out some more of the stable's potential spring carnival three-year-olds at Rosehill on Saturday.

Advertisement
Jorda wins the Gimcrack Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart

In the spring last year Jorda scored one of the more impressive juvenile wins of last season when taking out Sydney's first-year-old race of 2016/17, the Listed Gimcrack Stakes (1000m).

The win was made more impressive by Jorda's appearance in the mounting yard where she looked more like a yearling than a two-year-old and presented with a coat like a horse straight out of a paddock.

"She come in with a big old woolly coat and she is only tiny but she is healthy and happy and she is a good little eater at home," Then Godolphin trainer John O'Shea said after the race.

Jorda went to Melbourne during the autumn before the stable pulled stumps on the filly's Blue Diamond Stakes campaign and she's returned with two solid trials in preparation for her three-year-old return in Saturday's Group III San Domenico Stakes (1100m).

"As you'd expect in the San Domenico, some of the more promising sprinters are resuming, colts like Pariah, but if this little filly who has a big action, is able to be within striking distance on the turn, then I certainly think she can run well here," Cummings said.

"She's an exciting filly if she's able to make that step up in maturity."

One of the more impressive triallers in recent weeks has been the lightly-raced Marsupial.

The Street Cry colt thumped Golden Slipper runner-up Frolic by 2-1/4 lengths on debut back in January before racing below expectations in his three subsequent runs.

On Saturday Marsupial takes on the older horses in the ASX Thomson Reuters Charity Foundation Benchmark 78 Handicap (1100m).

"He has been kept to the handicaps first-up this weekend but he is a horse on the cusp of being a black-type horse for us this campaign and into the future," Cummings said.

"He has trialled up really stylishly on two occasions ahead of his return.

"We particularly like the way he trialled at Warwick Farm when he was matching motors with a weight-for-age placed Group I sprinter Spieth.

"Look for him to be running well against the older horses. It will be an interesting test for him having just turned three to be muscling up against more experienced rivals. "

The stable also has two acceptors, Astoria and Animalia, in the Group III Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) but that could be reduced to one runner come Saturday.

Astoria resumes in the blinkers for the first time while Animalia comes off an emphatic 7-1/4 length maiden win at Gosford 37-days ago.

"Astoria always looked like he had a bit of improvement in him and he's probably one of the better looking colts we're taking to the races this weekend," Cummings said.

"He stepped out of his box this morning looking an absolute picture.

"I've also accepted at Newcastle and I might take the easier option with Animalia.

"He's a really unique horse, quite old-fashioned, with a big action, who we'd like to see getting up over ground later on in this campaign.

"But judging by his dominant win at the provincials last month he's certainly got something to offer.

"But he might be better off at this stage keeping to the lower grades. "

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Friday December 5
Here is the full list of 86 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Itchintogo Gives Gollan Consecutive Phelan Ready Wins
Jumping away the narrow second favourite off the back of his second place on debut, Tony Gollan’s Itchintogo (Sun City) will now head to the $3m Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast after winning the $200,000 Listed BRC Phelan Ready Stakes (1100m), becoming the first stakes winner for his sire.
Provence Wins G1 Mufhasa Classic in a Thriller - Half-Brother for 2026 K1
It was an anxious few moments for the connections of Provence as they waited to hear the judge’s call following the Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday, and they erupted when their mare’s name was called out first.
Cosmic Force Filly Wins $250,000 Emerging Stars Final at Ballarat
By under-rated sire Cosmic Force from the famed ‘Discreet’ family promising filly Shystar enjoyed a lucrative pay day on Saturday when taking out the $250,000 Emerging Stars Final (1400m) at Ballarat.
Shamexpress Sprinter wins G3 Spring Sprint
Lightly raced six-year-old The Scunner showed his last start runner-up finish at Group Three level was no fluke as he backed that effort up with another professional display to capture the Gr.3 Taylor Property Plus Spring Sprint (1400m) at Trentham.
Consecutive Ballarat Cup Wins For Berkeley Square
While it has been 12 months between drinks so to speak for Dan O’Sullivan’s Berkeley Square with his last race victory coming in this very same race last year, Saturday’s victory in the $500,000 Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m) took the earnings of the 6yo Territories (IRE) gelding past the $2m mark.
G1 Plans for Invincible Sprinter
A five year-old son of I Am Invincible, Caballus is a very much a sprinter on the rise and turned in a blistering performance at Doomben on Saturday to go within a whisker of the course record when blasting his rivals to win the Group III BRC George Moore Stakes (1200m).
First Win for $1million I Am Invincible Filly
A $1million Magic Millions purchase from Widden Stud, I Am Invincible filly La Basilique cast off maiden status with a tenacious win at Randwick on Friday afternoon in the Yulong colours.
New SW for Wrote - Midnight Edition wins G3 Concorde Stakes
Midnight Edition, who has genuine claims to the title of most improved galloper in the North Island this season, stepped up to a new level at Pukekohe when he claimed the Gr.3 Concorde Stakes (1200m) in emphatic fashion.
New SW Lucky Vega - That's Gold Wins G3 Bonecrusher
Bred and sold by Yulong, talented colt That's Gold became a new stakes-winner for Lucky Vega (IRE) when taking out the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe on Saturday.