James Cummings is content with his decision to only give Eurozone one lead up run heading into the Group 1 $500,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday.
James Cummings is content with Eurozone heading into the Australian Guineas. Photo by Steve Hart.
Eurozone ran a great first up second to the in-form Moment Of Change in the Group 1 $400,000 Sportingbet C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 8 and Cummings was tempted to take on the Peter Moody trained galloper again at Caulfield last week.
But a late decision to bypass the Group 1 $500,000 Cathay Pacific Futurity Stakes (1400m) has sat sweet with Cummings and he is not concerned about Eurozone having three weeks in between runs going into a Group 1 contest.
Moment Of Change repeated his all the way C.F. Orr Stakes win in the Futurity Stakes with Luke Nolen letting the five year old have his own way in front to collect his second Group 1 in as many starts.
“On Saturday night I was confident that we pulled the right rein,” Cummings told the Sportsman.
“It would have been a tough run, the tempo of the Futurity looked like it was pretty lightning just given the fact that Sertorius was able to get over the top of so many of them.”
“I couldn’t be happier and I’ll say one thing, every time I’ve gone to the races with this horse he hasn’t let me down.”
Three times Melbourne Cup winning jockey Glen Boss takes over from the suspended Damien Oliver who missed out by a nose to claim another Group 1 victory in the C.F. Orr Stakes.
A win in the Australian Guineas for Eurozone would be the first Group 1 for the training partnership of James and his famous grandfather Bart Cummings, but neither are strangers to the Group 1 winner’s stall with the legendary Bart having two hundred and sixty-six Group 1 wins beside his name and James has been working with Group 1 winners for several years as foreman for his grandfather.
Eurozone collected a Group 2 trophy for the newly formed partnership in the Spring by winning the $250,000 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill in September which followed a sixth to Zoustar in the Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill.
Cox Plate winner Shamus Award will also go into the Australian Guineas with only one lead up run when third to Moment To Change and Eurozone in the C. F. Orr Stakes and the two quality colts are certain to engage in another tough battle.
Adelaide three year old Hucklebuck won’t have any fitness worries with trainer Phillip Stokes winning a 1200m race at Morphettville with him before heading to Flemington two weeks ago to take out the Group 3 $150,000 C S Hayes Stakes (1400m) from Australian Guineas rivals Prince Harada and The Quarterback.
The Australian Guineas market order at Ladbrokes.com.au has Hucklebuck the $3.80 favourite ahead of Eurozone at $4.20 and Shamus Award at $5 with The Quarterback the next in the betting at $11.
Sydney colt Criterion and Autumn Stakes winner Thunder Fantasy share the next line of betting at $13 with Prince Harada and the Queensland trained Teronado both at $15.
