James Cummings and James Mcdonald have continued their domination of the Melbourne Spring Carnival claiming a fourth Group 1 win.
After dual wins with Anamoe in the Might And Power Stakes and the Cox Plate along with Golden Mile’s win in the Caulfield Guineas, filly In Secret landed the prize in the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Sent out the $3.10 favourite, In Secret exploded clear of the pack inside the final 200m to register a two-length win from C’est Magique ($41) with Buenos Noches ($9) a length away third.
Cummings said it was a good feeling to land the Coolmore Stud Stakes, a race he described as the Golden Slipper of the Melbourne Spring Carnival.
In Secret was coming off a second-place finish in the Group I Golden Rose at Rosehill last month when nailed late in the race by Jacquinot.
“I’ve had horses that have won Golden Roses before and you dream about winning a Coolmore,” Cummings said.
“You have to go to the next level to go to Derby Day and perform on the big stage over six furlongs and at set weights against the best.”
Cummings and the Godolphin team resisted the temptation of heading to The Everest at Randwick on October 15 to concentrate on the Coolmore.
“About four or five weeks before The Everest I was asked what horse would I recommend for The Everest,” Cummings said.
“They said, if it’s not going to be Anamoe, who is it going to be? I said well I think it is going to be one of our best horses on the farm and they asked who was I talking about?
“I said, this horse In Secret is one of the best horses we’ve got out there and she could run a race.
“You watch that race today and watch what she did to Jacquinot there, you tell me that she wouldn’t have given them a scare (in The Everest).
“Regardless of that, we’ve won the Coolmore, and we kept her on ice for this race but she’s probably going to be The Everest favourite for next year.”
McDonald rode In Secret in a trial down the Flemington straight last Friday week and said the filly gave him the feel of an explosive straight track sprinter.
He said he told Cummings that she may be something special.
“She was ready to launch on the Friday when she trialled,” McDonald said.
“I had that much in hand it wasn’t funny.
“She loved the straight and I thought just jot her down for the Coolmore.”
