Victoria Derby nomination Fiveandahalfstar will join trainer Anthony Cummings’ spring carnival team in Melbourne so long as he can break maiden ranks at Canterbury on Wednesday.
Fiveandahalfstar was also nominated for Saturday’s Norman Robinson Stakes at Caulfield but Cummings has kept the three-year-old in Sydney to run in the Australian Turf Club Plate (1900m).
“He is working his way into peak fitness and we are trying to see what his best distance range is,” Cummings said.
“If he can run the 1900 metres and further then he has got some pretty bright prospects in Melbourne.”
Cummings believes the set-weights Maiden race is the perfect race for Fiveandahalfstar to break through for a win in his 13th start.
The gelding has had four starts so far this campaign, including a pleasing fifth to Rowie over 1600m at Warwick Farm last Wednesday.
“Given he runs to expectations tomorrow he’ll then head to Melbourne,” Cummings said.
Fiveandahalfstar is a son of Hotel Grand who Cummings trained to win the Group One Spring Champion Stakes and the Group One Randwick Guineas in the 2005-06 racing season.
The trainer said a Canterbury victory was needed to keep the Victoria Derby as a realistic target.
Cummings was also pleased with the progress of well-bred colt Delagos who runs in the Co-Wyn Building Group Handicap (1250m) on the back of a convincing first-up win at Goulburn.
Delagos is a son of Encosta De Lago out of Sarasota who is a sister to champion sire Fastnet Rock.
“It was an impressive win first-up and it was the first time all the circumstances in a race came together in his favour,” Cummings said.
“He hadn’t had much luck before and lacked race craft. We’ve also worked out that he needs firm ground.
“This is another stepping stone for him towards something closer to stakes level.”
