Show A Star will be looking for the stable's first stakes win in the Listed Golden Mile
Show A Star will always hold a special place in the stable of Matt Cumani.
Since he began his Australian training career a year ago, Show A Star has given Cumani his only two city victories.
Now Cumani, the son of legendary UK horseman Luca, is hoping the gelding can step up for the stable’s first stakes win when he contests the Listed Golden Mile (1600m) at Bendigo on Saturday.
Cumani was originally going to bypass the event considering Show A Star to be badly handicapped, but decided to roll the dice with the last-start Flemington winner.
“We got a good draw and looking at the horse he’s going so well I think it would be a shame to have to wait for another couple of weeks for his next start,” Cumani said.
“While it’s not very clever in my mind to go for a race when you’re out of the handicap, I think we’ve just got to roll the dice and see how he gets on.”
Show A Star entered Cumani’s yard last year after being trained by Gai Waterhouse and was successful at Caulfield last May at his second start for the stable.
Cumani said his training operation began at the right time just as the owners of Show A Star were looking to move the gelding to the country.
“Without him we wouldn’t have had our city wins and I’d probably be tearing my hair out,” he said.
Cumani is hoping to continue his unbeaten run at Bendigo where he’s had two runners for two wins.
His first winner, Our Covenant, came at the track last May with his eighth runner to the races.
“It’s a good track with a nice long straight and it’s not too far away from home at Ballarat,” Cumani said.
Cumani is starting to get numbers back to the races again following a strangles outbreak late last year.
He said it was frustrating that some of his younger horses, who were getting ready for lower grade races around the Christmas and New Year period, were forced out and instead had to come out later at a tougher time of the year.
