Newly crowned Group One winner Avilius has been nominated for another top level race at Rosehill, heading the entries for the Tancred Stakes.
The Godolphin stayer won Saturday’s Ranvet Stakes and heads 19 entries for Saturday’s Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill.
Dual Group One winner Ace High, who finished nine lengths from Avilius in the Ranvet on what is for him an unsuitable heavy surface, is also nominated to back up along with several others.
Nettoyer (5th), The Taj Mahal (6th) and Auvray (7th) have been entered along with three runners from Saturday’s Manion Cup (2400m) – Shraaoh (3rd), Doukhan (5th) and Etymology (9th).
Trainer James Cummings said the next few days would be crucial in the decision whether Avilius backed up before heading to the spelling paddock next week.
“History is against him backing as a winner of the Ranvet into the Tancred,” Cummings told RSN927 a day after the race.
“Since they did change the programming of those two races it has proven to be extremely difficult for a horse to win on the seven-day back-up.
“He has had four runs this campaign. The next few days will be crucial for the horse and if he is giving us any sign that it is going to be too much, we will be patient like we have been patient with other horses in the past.”
The spring is when Cummings expects Avilius to shine at weight-for-age.
The Ranvet was the five-year-old’s first race on a heavy track and he overhauled He’s Eminent to win by 2-1/4 lengths.
Cummings also won Saturday’s Golden Slipper with Kiamichi while the other three Group One races on the program went to trainer Chris Waller with Winx (George Ryder Stakes), Nature Strip (Galaxy) and The Autumn Sun (Rosehill Guineas).
The Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) for three-year-old fillies is the other Group One race on Saturday’s Rosehill program which also features the Group Two Tulloch Stakes (2000m), a traditional lead-up to the Australian Derby (2400m) and the Group Two Emancipation Stakes (1500m).
There are also four Group Three races on the nine-race program which concludes the Golden Slipper carnival.
