The second-widest barrier probably wasn’t what James Cummings would have selected given the choice, but he sees advantages in it for Paulele in Saturday’s $1.5 million Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot in Perth.
It all-but ensures the four-year-old will be left alone early in the 1200-metre race, which the Godolphin trainer suspects will provoke an improved performance.
Paulele heads into the Winterbottom off below-par efforts in the Manikato Stakes and Champions Sprint, both 1200m Group 1s in Melbourne, but Cummings said there were excuses on each occasion.
“I think we probably had him a little close two ago (in the Manikato) and I don’t think he’ a straight horse and he was forced to compete up the straight against Nature Strip and others last start,” Cummings said.
“So, he gets around a bend and if he’s left alone early from the wide draw, which has probably forced our hand and it’s probably what Paulele has been crying out for.”
Cummings has also removed the blinkers, which forced Paulele to overrace in the Champions Sprint, which he hopes might recreate the explosiveness of his Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) win from three starts ago.
“The horse is really going well, he’s sharp in his work, he’s a Schillaci winner this preparation and he’s got that big performance in the Doomben 10,000 behind Mazu,” Cummings said.
“That’s good form that Paulele brings from this year and he can produce a big turn of foot when the pace is on in these Group 1 sprints.”
Paulele will be ridden by Ben Melham with Jamie Kah to take the ride on his stablemate Vilana, who drew barrier 12.
Cummings also considers that a suitable barrier for the son of Hallowed Crown, who ran down In The Congo to win the $1 million The Hunter (1300m) at his most recent appearance.
“He’s still about 10th or 11th in the race for early speed, so it’s going to work out all right we hope,” Cummings said.
“He just wants to be chiming in at the right time, using the strength that he brings from the 1300-metre run from two weeks ago into the race and hopefully he gets the opportunity to storm home up the middle and make a big impact.”
