Bart Gears Up For Fourth Cox Plate
Thursday, 23 October 2008:  | | Sirmione |
Cummings, who is after his fourth win in the weight-for-age championship, has taken the Norton bit off and put a lugging bit on the reigning Mackinnon Stakes and Australian Cup winner in the 2040-metre feature.
The master trainer pulled off a huge upset with [n]Sirmione[/b] last spring when, as a $61 chance, he stormed home to win the Mackinnon Stakes (2000 metres) at Flemington on derby day, beating Cox Plate rivals Princess Coup and Zipping.
That came after he had finished 15th, 10th and 12th at his previous three starts.
He showed what he was capable of again in the autumn with a 3¾ length victory over Cox Plate equal favourite Princess Coup in the Australian Cup (2000 metres) at Flemington.
CummingsCummings acknowledges the Encosta De Lago five-year-old's form is superior at Flemington, whereas he is yet to run a place in four appearances at the Valley.
But Cummings said Sirmione's gallop on Tuesday morning with track rider Joe Agresta aboard was the best he had worked at Moonee Valley.
"I'm quite happy. He's improving," he said. "It looks pretty open this year. There is no outstanding weight-for-age horse in it with Weekend Hussler not running."
While respecting the equal favourites Princess Coup and Samantha Miss, he queried Princess Coup as not having raced at Moonee Valley before and Samantha Miss for stepping up to weight-for-age for the first time.
"I don't know about the Cox Plate but she's a big, strong filly and keeps winning like a champion against her own age. She's very good," he said of Samantha Miss, who is striving to become only the second filly to win the race after Surround in 1976.
Cummings was forgiving of Sirmione's last start when he had blinkers back on and finished a 2¾ length sixth of seven behind $41 shot Douro Valley in the Yalumba Stakes (2000 metres).
"They ran the first 1000 metres very slowly, which made it hard to run down the leader (Douro Valley)," he said.
Damien Oliver, who has won two Cox Plates including one on the Cummings-trained Dane Ripper (1997), said his mount didn't have to improve much on his latest effort.
"It wasn't that bad, but I think people expected a little bit more from him," he said.
"I'm sure a more truly run race will see a much better run from him.
"He can turn his form around from a disappointing run to a good run.
"He won the Mackinnon at pretty big odds last year, so we're hoping he can turn it around on Saturday."
Trainer Mark Kavanagh has made another gear change on Maldivian who ran ninth, beaten 4¾ lengths, in the Caulfield Cup.
The six-year-old by Zabeel will wear blinkers for the first time in the Cox Plate after last week racing with a cross-over noseband and tongue tie on for the first time.
|
