Godolphin’ head trainer James Cummings is excited at the prospect of a sixth Group One win for the season in the Stradbroke Handicap but can’t hide his disappointment he might have only one runner.
Last year’s winner Impending is second favourite for Saturday’s $1.5 million Stradbroke Handicap at Doomben but his stablemate Osborne Bulls is second emergency and needs luck to get a run.
Cummings was in Brisbane this week to watch his horses at trackwork and liked what he saw, especially when Impending was the star on Tuesday morning.
“Impending is in perfect condition. He’s really gained confidence from two wins in three starts this campaign and he was a little unlucky not to have won another Group One,” Cummings said.
“He arrives at the Stradbroke in the best form of his career He looked really, really sweet in a gallop on the course proper on Tuesday morning and gave us a little more confidence, if we needed it, going into this race.”
But Cummings would love to see Osborne Bulls get a run in the Stradbroke.
“Osborne Bulls has done a very good job this preparation to pick up a stakes race,” Cummings said
“Hopefully he gets a start in the Stradbroke. It’s particularly remarkable that he ran first-up for us in February and he’s just kept climbing his way through the grades in impressive fashion to get here as a sneaky lightweight chance in Queensland’s greatest race.”
Godolphin won the Listed Helen Coughlan Stakes with Impending’s sister Epidemic last week and the stable has a chance with Savatiano in the Group Two Dane Ripper Stakes on Saturday.
“It is a big step up for her but she is racing well,” Cummings said.
