Godolphin has best winter carnival

Trekking’s win in the Group One Stradbroke Handicap has highlighted a season to remember for the Goldolphin Australia operation.

Godolphin’s head Australian trainer James Cummings decided to target the winter with a strong team after Exhilarates won the Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January.

He sent foreman Nacim Dilmi to Brisbane in early May with a team he believed would be suited in Brisbane.

It paid off as Godolphin has won six stakes races this winter – Stradbroke (Trekking), Silk Stocking (Demerara), Chief DeBeers (Isaurian), Grinders Coffee Stakes (Savatiano), Lightning (Plague Stone) and Helen Coughlan Stakes (Multaja).

Throw in a Group One second by Osborne Bulls in the Doomben 10,000 and a third for Trekking in the Group One Kingsford Smith Cup and it has been a $2 million dollar winter.

Cummings said it was a true team effort.

“Everyone plays their role from the staff at the farm to the team back home in Sydney to those here in Brisbane,” he said.

“They all deserve credit for a year to remember. We hope to build on this season.”

The blue army is not finished yet and hopes to have several runners in the final Group One race of the season, the Tatt’s Tiara on Saturday week.

Trekking’s win was the Australian operation’s 200th for the season and lifted it to a tick under $29 million prize money.

It was also Godolphin’s eighth Group One win for the season, seven for Cummings and one for Anthony Freedman, putting it in second place behind Chris Waller (17) on the Australian list.

Godolphin has won three other Group One races in Australia with English-based trainers Saeed bin Suroor and Charlie Appleby.

Waller has become the first Australian trainer to win more than $40 million prize money in a season after doubles at Eagle Farm and Randwick on Saturday.

Waller has not won a Group One race this winter but will have at least three runners in the Tatt’s Tiara.