Godolphin galloper Tom Kitten has finally delivered on the big stage taking out the Group 1 All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington.
Tom Kitten showed his potential as two-year-old winning the Listed Fernhill Stakes (1600m) two autumn’s ago, while the following spring, as a three-year-old, he came out to win the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick.
But Tom Kitten went winless through his three-year-old autumn campaign and the decision was made to geld him at the end of that preparation.
Tom Kitten returned to win first-up last spring, and while he competed at a high level, he was unable to score again until he landed the prize at Flemington on Saturday.
Under the guidance of Ben Melham, Tom Kitten ($4.60) defeated the $2.70 favourite Mr Brightside by a short-half-head with Light Infantry Man ($26) a further 1-¼ lengths away third.
Tom Kitten resumed with a close second in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 22 and Godolphin trainer James Cummings said prior to Saturday’s contest the gelding was in for the best preparation of his career.
Melham sensed Tom Kitten was near his top again after a luckless run in the Futurity.
“He has come back really good, this horse,” Melham said.
“His second prep as a gelding and James Cummings and Godolphin, they’re such good conditioners of this calibre of horse heading to these big races.
“He was obviously very unlucky the other day. In another hop he probably beats Mr Brightside. He had the cheaper run, and he has probably bounced out of it better.
“I was confident he could come here and beat Brightside today, but he just has a few antics in the barriers and stepped a bit ordinary, but it worked out really well for us.
“He’s really genuine now. I know he’s got a bit of a bad rap, but he’s run a lot of good races, and he’s run into stiff competition, so for him to put another big one on the mantlepiece is a great effort by the horse and the stable.”
Godolphin representative Nacim Dilmi said the team at Osborne Park in Sydney had been confident than Tom Kitten could return to his best form this campaign.
“He’s got a lot of ability, but a lot of things never went to plan with him,” Dilmi said.
“He’s had many luckless races and this prep, the guys at Osborne Park said earlier, the way he has been going we knew he was in for a good prep, and he sure has.
“Now it is onwards to the Australian Cup at 2000 metres (at Flemington on March 29), and he’ll put in another good fight.”
