Cummings pins hopes on Avilius for more G1 glory at Winx Stakes

The return to racing of Godolphin’s Australian flag-bearer Avilius arrives at Randwick in Sydney on Saturday with trainer James Cummings cautiously realistic about the horse’s chances in the G1 Winx Stakes.

Avilius has won eight races from 11 Australian starts, finishing off his autumn campaign with G1 victories in the Ranvet Stakes and the Tancred Stakes. He has tuned up for his reappearance with two barrier trials, the latest a most impressive winning hit-out at Rosehill.

“It’s a pleasure to have him back in training after going out on such a high,” Cummings said.

“His preliminaries have been just perfect. We saw a glimpse of how that’s been unfolding in his Rosehill trial.”

Avilius has opened each of his two Australian campaigns with a win, and Cummings is satisfied he is forward enough to run well again over Saturday’s 1,400m trip.

“By my estimation, and without getting too carried away, he should run a nice race,” he said.

“But the effort he put in last season will be hard to replicate. He’ll be matching it with better horses  at every start, there’ll be nowhere to hide.”

“The pressure of a G1 return at 1,400m is a bit different. It’s one thing to expect him to run a nice race and sail home in a G3 like he’s done previously, but it’s another thing to saddle up in a G1.”

“It’s another dimension, it’s about how he copes. No doubt he’ll be dissected and closely analysed.”

Avilius is likely to follow a similar program to last spring when he ran in two of Australia’s most coveted races, the G1 Cox Plate and the G1 Melbourne Cup.

After finishing a fine fourth to Winx in the Cox Plate, he was knocked out of the race after 600m in the Melbourne Cup, only to bounce back in the autumn and win four races.

On Saturday he is accompanied by another G1 winner Best Of Days who produced the highlight of his career to win the G1 Kennedy Mile at Flemington last spring and then refused to jump away at his latest appearance in the G1 Futurity Stakes won by stablemate Alizee in February.

Cummings is satisfied that incident was an aberration.

“I’ve got be optimistic and I’m expecting the horse to reflect that positive attitude,” he said.

“We’ve given him plenty of time and I’m expecting our patience to have results. But I can say that he’s pleased me.”

Meanwhile, a solid test confronts the G1 Golden Slipper winner Kiamichi when she takes on older rivals on her three-year-old debut in Saturday’s G3 Toy Show Quality at Randwick.

One of six members of Godolphin’s vintage crop of juveniles who won more than 40 races last season and who are on show at Randwick, Kiamichi shapes as the most interesting of the group.

While trainer Cummings is cautious about her prospects, he is looking forward to seeing the filly voted ‘NSW Two-Year-Old Of The Year’, in action.

“Kiamichi is by no means at her best first-up and it would require no small feat to get up and beat the older mares so early in the spring,” he said.

“We don’t expect her to have her preferred soft ground, but I appreciate that this filly is capable of improving into her campaign.”

Kiamichi will be accompanied in the Toy Show by Soothing, a filly Cummings believes can also run well.

“I’m pleased with her build-up and she gives herself another chance at a G3 win,” he said.

The fillies Tenley, a three-time winner at two, and Flit resume in the G2 Darley Silver Shadow Stakes.

Cummings is looking to both to run forward races but acknowledges some strong opposition.

“I’d like to think Tenley can excel back on top of the ground, but she will be better off at the weights second-up in the Darley Furious Stakes in a couple of weeks,” he said.

“Flit has demonstrated an abundance of potential and raw talent and an unlimited amount of cut-throat professionalism.”

“She is burdened with the task of taking on horses like Libertini who is a machine, but we expect there will be plenty of upside as her second racing campaign unfolds.”

The fillies Athiri, who resumed two weeks ago, and Avon River are joined by the colt Deference in the G3 Up And Coming Stakes.

“Athiri can afford to lift on her first-up effort and I think the Up and Coming is the type of race that could suit her well,” Cummings said.

“Avon River found her confidence over this trip in a maiden last start and I like it that she’s sticking to 1,300m again.”

Agencies