Cummings team building for Melb spring

Thursday 9 October 2014, 2:03pm

The Melbourne spring carnival depth of trainer Anthony Cummings will be influenced by results at Randwick on Saturday.

Cummings will saddle up one of his biggest metropolitan teams so far this season with five runners across the eight-race card, most notably a new-look Drago in the Xirrus Sprint.

Like the rest of the quintet, Drago is in line for a trip to Melbourne but needs to earn his ticket with an encouraging performance at Randwick.

"I'd like to think a couple of them could force their way onto the Melbourne scene, at least for the Flemington carnival," Cummings said.

Since he finished fourth in two Group One races at the start of his career, Drago has been on the radar of most punters.

He was consistent in good company last spring without winning then strained a ligament at the back of his pastern on the eve of the autumn carnival and took no part.

Saturday will be his first start since last year's Victoria Derby and significantly, he resumes a gelding.

"Two stone lighter, two stone brighter," Cummings said.

"He's in good order and his two trials have been good.

"He's certainly a lot calmer and his work has been up to its usual standard."

Cummings will be happy to see Drago finishing strongly on Saturday and says there are several options for the horse in Melbourne depending on how quickly he progresses.

Best Case also has black-type formlines and looks well placed stepping up to 2000m in the #Moetmoment Handicap after a closing last-start fourth in the Shannon Stakes.

"He is in his right distance range now and I'd be disappointed if he wasn't in the fat end of the pies on Saturday," Cummings said.

The trainer also runs former Hong Kong galloper Aomen, who is resuming from a bowed tendon, and Alpha Beat in the Myer Spring Fashion Handicap and Volley Of Fire in the Cellarbrations Handicap.

His Melbourne hopes on Saturday rest with High Above in the Group One Thousand Guineas.

– AAP

Latest News

Prime Thoroughbreds - We have a Host of Leaders in our Team

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

Prime Thor­ough­bred’s cur­rent rac­ing team is putt­ing to­gether quite a re­cord. We have 22 hors­es that have raced in our team at pre­sent. Six­teen of th­ese are win­n­ers in­clud­ing the Stakes win­n­ing trio Ru­bisa­ki, Fituese and Xtreme­time with Miss Di­vine Em and Miss In Charge run­n­ing 4th in Stakes races. This sees a stakes win­n­er to win­n­er ra­tio of 18.75% with a stake’s per­formed to win­n­er ra­tio of 31.25%. Th­ese are ex­cep­tio­n­al fig­ures.   More »

Freedmans land maiden Group One win

Saturday, 27 February 2021

Un­der-rat­ed fil­ly For­bid­den Love has emerged as an au­tumn car­ni­val smokey with a bril­liant per­for­mance to win the Sur­round Stakes at Rand­wick.  More »

Capriccio completes Damian Lane treble

Saturday, 27 February 2021

In a big day for coun­try-trained hors­es, War­r­nam­bool fil­ly Capric­cio has tak­en out the In­glis Dash for Daniel Bow­man.  More »

More news headlines »