Godolphin is looking to Tom Kitten turning the tables on Mr Brightside in the All-Star Mile at Flemington.
Godolphin trainer James Cummings is of the belief Tom Kitten could be in for the preparation of his life this campaign.
Tom Kitten heads to the Group 1 All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday, the second run of his autumn campaign.
The Cummings-trained four-year-old resumed with a narrow second in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 22, a performance that had the Godolphin team excited for what may lay ahead in the autumn.
Tom Kitten needed just one more bound to overhaul Mr Brightside at Caulfield and Cummings said the gelding had trained on well since that first-up outing.
“He pulled up outstandingly from that run in the Futurity,” Cummings said.
“His gallop on the course proper this week was scintillating, but he’s going to need an improvement from his effort first-up in the Futurity to beat the types of horses in the All-Star Mile.
“But Tom Kitten could be in for the prep of his life this campaign.
“These first two runs in Melbourne might just be the runs he needs to get him into the picture against the better horses around the country.”
Tom Kitten has always had hype around him, right from when he won the Listed Fernhill Stakes (1600m) at Randwick as a two-year-old.
The following spring, Tom Kitten won the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m), but his following autumn three-year-old campaign he went winless but not disgraced.
As a spring four-year-old last year, Tom Kitten finished second in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap, fourth in the Group 1 King Charles and third in the Golden Eagle.
“He’s been a bit of a project to get back to this level since he was so impressive in the Spring Champion Stakes as a three-year-old,” Cummings said.
“He’s got back to those performances with efforts against Ceolwulf last preparation, and not to mention the impressive form from that Golden Eagle.
“We have to be quietly confident that he can take another step up against Mr Brightside and Another Wil this weekend.”
