Godolphin holds sway in the Eskimo Prince Stakes at Warwick Farm with the three most favoured runners in the eight-horse field.
Punters are favouring Pandemic in Saturday’s 1200m-Group Three Eskimo Prince Stakes despite the wet-track credentials of his James Cummings-trained stablemate Kiamichi.
Pandemic has been posted at $2.30 ahead of Golden Slipper winner Kiamichi at $4.60.
The Anthony Freedman-trained Chenier is Godolphin’s other runner and on the second line alongside Kiamichi who carries top weight of 58kg.
Kiamichi won the Magic Night Stakes and G1 Golden Slipper on heavy ground, conditions predicted for Saturday with rain expected for the two days leading into the meeting.
She was an impressive all-the-way winner of a recent barrier trial on a soft track and Cummings said she was ready to shine this autumn after being unplaced in two spring starts.
“She’s on a great mission this time in after laying it all on the line last autumn,” Cummings said.
“Her preliminaries have been very strong and she won her last trial in good style.
“The forecast of wet going will be to her liking and we are hoping that will offset the Group One penalty she will carry.”
Pandemic has earned his favouritism courtesy of a recent win against older horses in benchmark company.
“He made a flashy return against older horses to continue his winning form and frank the quality of this season’s three-year olds,” Cummings said.
“This is a better race, but to do what he did last start was a positive sign.”
Chenier is the least experienced of the three having had two starts at Sandown in Melbourne as an autumn-two-year-old.
He will be having his first start since April last year when he followed a runaway debut win with a second on a soft track.
“His first-up win was very strong at Sandown and he then ran well enough when second at his only other start,” assistant Sam Freedman said.
On that occasion, jockey Kerrin McEvoy told stewards Chenier had not handled the wet conditions.
