Broadsiding on hot Randwick Guineas trail
SYDNEY Trainer James Cummings says Broadsiding is "humming" as the brilliant colt seeks to extend his generational dominance in the A$1 million (S$840,000) Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1,600m) on March 8.
Already a three-time winner at the highest level, Broadsiding proved he had returned in top order with a scintillating win in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1,400m) at Rosehill on Feb 22.
Cummings said that the Godolphin-owned Too Darn Hot three-year-old had bounced out of that performance and continued to enjoy a faultless build-up to Saturday.
"He is humming going home from trackwork, so that is some insight into how the horse is feeling in the days leading up to it," said Cummings. "He pulled up great. He handled that first-up run very well.
"Our assessment is he actually handled that better than he handled the win in the (Group 1) Golden Rose (1,400m) first-up last prep and I've been very pleased with him heading into the Guineas.
"With the confidence of that win under his belt first-up against the three-year-olds and remaining against the three-year-olds again here, he looks beautifully placed."
Broadsiding is undefeated in his past six starts in the clockwise direction - four times in Sydney and twice in Brisbane - although he is yet to win second-up.
There is a possibility of rain in Sydney but that will only enhance his chances as he boasts a perfect record on wet tracks.
"He's got as good a wet track record as anything in that Randwick Guineas," said Cummings.
One case in point is his win in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1,600m) at Randwick on a heavy track last April.
One new refreshing element to the three-time Group 1 winner - he also captured the J.J. Atkins (1,600m) at Eagle Farm - was his gate speed at his last start.
Broadsiding showed surprising early pace to stalk the speed in the Hobartville Stakes and from barrier No. 4 in the Guineas, Cummings sees no reason he cannot assume an equally positive position.
"It wouldn't shock me if he was able to begin from the machines as fresh a horse as what we saw first-up in the Hobartville," he said.
"He demonstrated he was capable of taking up an enviable position in the run and still letting rip at the top of the straight."
While it was Zac Lloyd in the irons at the Hobartville win, Broadsiding will reunite with top gun James McDonald, who steered him to four of his six wins.
The Kiwi superstar could not ride him on Feb 22 as he was committed to Romantic Warrior in Saudi Arabia, where the dynamic duo finished an agonisingly close second to Japan's Forever Young in the US$20 million (S$26.7 million) Group 1 Saudi Cup (1,800m).
Broadsiding remains a popular favourite for the Randwick Guineas on the Australian market at prohibitive odds of 5-3 on, ahead of Hobartville Stakes runner-up Swiftfalcon (3-1) and Aeliana (11-2), who will be striving to become the first filly to topple the colts and geldings since Mosheen in 2012.
Jockey Tyler Schiller - a successful one-day Kranji visitor with the Daniel Meagher-trained Always Together on July 21 - is bullish Team Hawkes' Swiftfalcon can exact revenge on Broadsiding after he stormed home from last to just fail by under one length a fortnight ago.
"Obviously, Broadsiding's a quality colt, but I thought that late, he was stronger than Broadsiding," he said. "He probably would've found a bit more if we challenged right up alongside him." SKY RACING WORLD
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