Cabin fever rising ahead of Caulfield Guineas Prelude

Aft Cabin will have every opportunity to prove his Caulfield Guineas worth when he rounds out preparations for the $2 million Group 1 this Saturday at Caulfield.

The return to 1400 metres and another look at the Guineas venue in the $300,000 Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude have trainer James Cummings confident it’s the perfect race for the son of Astern.

Aft Cabin charged up Guineas markets with a six-length romp over 1400m at Sandown on August 10 but dropped back to the 1200m of the Group 3 McNeil Stakes at Caulfield 17 days later when a 1-1/2-length second to Jacquinot.

Cummings said Aft Cabin had been ‘burning around on low revs’ since the McNeil and had two key factors in his favour this weekend.

“I was able to back off him dropping back to six furlongs, which was nice given that he was up nice and early,” Cummings said.

“I think this is a good set up for him back up to 1400 metres and getting a second look at Caulfield will be perfect for the horse as a lead-in to the 2022 Caulfield Guineas.

“He’s going to have a little added pressure being in a race where there will be a little expectation, but that’s all right, he can go there and demonstrate whether he’s up to handling the pressure.”

Aft Cabin shares the $8 second line with Jacquinot andBerkeley Square in TAB’s Guineas market, which is headed by another Cummings-trained son of Astern, Golden Mile at $5.

Aft Cabin will be Cummings’ only representative in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude, while Godolphin’s head trainer has Sumatra entered for the female equivalent, the $300,000 Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m).