There is a racing adage that you should forgive a good horse one bad run and James Cummings is hoping it rings true for Golden Mile in the Doncaster.
The three-year-old turned in the worst performance of his career when last to superstar stablemate Anamoe in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) two weeks ago.
Prior to that he finished fourth to Artorius in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m), beaten less than a length, and Cummings says Golden Mile only has to recapture that type of form to be competitive on Saturday.
“His run wasn’t his best run last start in the George Ryder where he tried to follow Anamoe three and four-wide coming into the race,” Cummings said.
“Perhaps he couldn’t do what Anamoe could, and if I can forgive him that and think back to his big effort against Communist (winning the Callander-Presnell) at Randwick and his big effort in the Canterbury Stakes only beaten a length at weight-for-age, it reads like pretty good form.
“We love the way he’s trained since the George Ryder and he looks to have taken the required improvement to be fourth-up in the Doncaster ready to run his best race.”
Three-year-olds have a handy record in the Doncaster Mile (1600m), the age group producing six of the past 20 winners with Brutal (2019) the most recent.
Golden Mile is a two-time winner at the journey in the Caulfield Guineas and the Callander-Presnell, will carry 51kg under the handicap conditions and from a midfield draw, Cummings regards the colt as a knockout chance.
“He’s only carrying 51 kilos in the race and he looks like having a good draw for him too, so he can get himself into a fighting position there with that light weight,” he said.
Chris Waller will saddle up five runners in his quest to equal Tommy Smith and Gai Waterhouse’s record seven Doncaster wins after Ospienko was vaulted into the field with the scratching of Kirwan’s Lane on Thursday.
The three-year-old joins stablemates Fangirl, Going Global, Zougotocha and Lindermann in the 20-horse field.
