The VOBIS Platinum Showdown has traditionally not been a race that has come on the radar for Godolphin and trainer James Cummings.
In the six previous editions of the race that is restricted to two-year-olds that are sired by Victorian-based stallions when conceived, Cummings has started just two horses previously.
Arcaded and Sliders, both by Street Boss, finished fifth and 11th respectively in the 2021 edition and have since been retired and are now broodmares at stud.
This year Godolphin will have three representatives – Chergui, Cloisters and Cryoseisms – all sons of Frosted.
Melbourne-based Godolphin assistant trainer Nacim Dilmi said the VOBIS Platinum Showdown, with its $1 million prize money on offer, had now become a target race.
“We’re quite lucky to have the facilities in Melbourne and where we breed horses in Victoria as well,” Dilmi said.
“It’s a great initiative for breeders to have horses bred in Victoria to run for such good prize money.
“It’s great for us and I would say we’ll be targeting the race every year.”
Cloisters is the best performed of the trio.
He started his career with second placings at Cranbourne and Pakenham, before registering a fighting maiden win over 1300m at Bendigo last month.
Jamie Melham takes the ride having partnered the colt in a recent jump-out at Flemington.
“He’s actually quite deceiving,” Dilmi said.
“At home he will only do what he is asked to do and Jamie described him in his jump-out last Friday as very quiet, very unassuming, but once she asked him to quicken, he really gets his mind on the job and does it quite easily.
“He was tough at Bendigo when he broke his maiden.”
Chergui did the majority of his early work in Melbourne before heading to Sydney for two starts and then made his way back to Melbourne for his most recent start, finishing fourth in the Listed Festival Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on March 1.
Dilmi said the stable was left scratching their heads expecting more from the colt that day.
“He pulled up great from the run, but just whether it was his first time up the straight, we thought he might run better,” Dilmi said.
“He galloped well at Caulfield on Tuesday, so the signs are positive.”
Cryoseisms is a son of Earthquake who won the 2014 edition of the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
The colt is set to make his Melbourne debut after two unplaced runs in Sydney.
“He was in Victoria at the start of this prep before we sent him to NSW,” Dilmi said.
“He raced at Canterbury last time and he was OK, and I would say he will benefit from the travel from Melbourne to Sydney and back again.”
