Trainer James Cummings will weigh up the best option for Good Standing
Trainer James Cummings will weigh up the best option for Good Standing’s return with Hawkesbury and Eagle Farm the choices.
The colt is the 59kg topweight for Saturday’s Group Three Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) while he would carry 56.5kg in the Group Two Victory Stakes (1200m) against older horses in Brisbane.
The Victory Stakes attracted just seven acceptances while the Guineas has a field of 14 with Good Standing drawing barrier 13.
“There’s the option to run in the Victory Stakes,” Cummings said.
“We’ll have a look at what the track will be like and make a decision tomorrow (Thursday).”
Good Standing hasn’t raced since he finished midfield in the Group One Emirates Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on November 5 after winning the Group Three Ladbrokes Classic at Caulfield over the same distance.
The Hawkesbury Race Club has received a record 123 acceptances for its once-a-year metropolitan meeting also featuring the Group Three Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m).
The meeting carries $1.185 million prize money over the nine races.
“It reinforces this meeting as one of the highlights of the autumn, positioned well between the end of Royal Randwick, leading into Scone and then the Brisbane winter carnival” Hawkesbury Race Club chief executive Greg Rudolph said.
“Not only are our three Group races full of quality and depth, our support card is strong and will ensure that given a good track and fine weather, we are in a for a great day.”
The other Group Three race is the Godolphin Crown (1300m) for fillies and mares.
The Cup has a full field of 16 plus two emergencies including locally trained Group One winner Famous Seamus.
Trainer Noel Mayfield-Smith is keen to test the veteran sprinter over 1600 metres ahead of a Brisbane campaign.
