Glyn Schofield is the new rider for Hartnell in the $1 million Group One Caulfield Stakes.
Hartnell has raced three times this preparation for a first-up win under Craig Williams in the Group Two P B Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield before Group One seconds in the Makybe Diva Stakes and Underwood Stakes with Kerrin McEvoy aboard.
Both those riders will be in Sydney on Saturday for The Everest meeting at Randwick and Cummings confirmed Schofield had been booked to ride Hartnell in the weight-for-age race over 2000 metres at Caulfield.
Schofield will be aboard three Godolphin runners in Group One races on Saturday with bookings for favourite Alizee in the Thousand Guineas and Sanctioned in the Caulfield Guineas.
Cummings said Hartnell had come through his last-start second to Bonneval in the Underwood Stakes in great order.
“If anything I’d like to think he might have improved,” Cummings said.
“He’s fourth-up and I think he’s ready to run one his best races this campaign.”
Despite being beaten by Bonneval, Hartnell is the early $2.70 favourite ahead of the New Zealand mare who is at $2.90.
Plans for the rest of Hartnell’s spring campaign remain open.
“You can see what we’re doing. We’re just keeping our options open and we’ll judge him on his run on Saturday,” Cummings said.
“Plenty of options are open to us though. That’s the beauty of it.”
