Anthony Cummings has been late to the party with his two-year-olds this season, but he will unveil two debutants at Randwick who he hopes can lay important platforms for the spring.
Cummings saddled up 20 juvenile runners last season and one of them, She’s Extreme, collected the Group 1 Champagne Stakes, while this term he has had just four starters, three of those only stepping out in the past month.
The bulk of his young crop have been late maturing, including Cathedral Cove and Missile Defence who kick off their respective careers in The Agency Real Estate Handicap (1100m) on Saturday.
Both hail from families Cummings knows well, Cathedral Cove’s second dam Sovereign Ruby having produced Doubting, a four-time stakes winner for Cummings who was also Group 1 placed.
By Cable Bay, best known in Australia as the sire of Oakleigh Plate winner Uncommon James, Cathedral Cove cost $70,000 as a Magic Millions yearling and his full sister Charity Spirit boosted the family’s stocks when she subsequently finished runner-up in the 2022 Adrian Knox Stakes.
“I like Cable Bay as a stallion and as luck would have it, the full sister came out and was stakes placed about two months after I bought Cathedral Cove and added a bit of depth to the family,” Cummings said.
Missile Defence is also nicely related being a half-brother to Cummings’ black-type performer Kote along with stablemate and seven-time winner Caesar’s Palace.
“He’s the first the mare has thrown to race as a two-year-old,” Cummings said.
“He’s probably not quite as forward as the other one (Cathedral Cove), but he’s not far away.
“From the barrier he’s probably going to get back and run on, but he’s a really nice horse in the making.
“We’re basically trying to get some grounding so that he can make his way to stakes grade in the spring, and that’s the same for both of them.
“Depending on who gets the luck in the run and how things unfold on Saturday, they’re both capable of winning.”
Missile Defence has finished unplaced in two barrier trials but hasn’t been asked to extend, while Cathedral Cove has been a work in progress, disappointing at his second trial before showing much more intent when runner-up to the metropolitan-placed Diabelli in his latest hitout.
“He’s a developing colt and he gets a bit full of himself sometimes,” Cummings said of Cathedral Cove.
“His second trial was a bit less than I expected so we went back and did it again and was pretty happy with his last trial.
“It spoke well of him and he’s come out of it and looks great.”
