Cummings’ prediction comes true on Tom Kitten day

James Cummings sat in the Godolphin planning meeting at the end of the autumn in April and declared Spring Champion Stakes day would be Tom Kitten’s day, and six months later the colt proved him right in devastating fashion.

The son of a world champion sprinter Harry Angel showed a turn of foot that his stallion would have been proud of in the 2000m group 1 for three-year-olds . He was in a different class to his rivals, winning by 3-¼ lengths as $2.50 favourite. Cap Ferrat ($16) and Ganbare ($14), which was another length away in third, filled the minor end of the prize.

“That is an outstanding training performance,” Godolphin’s racing and breeding manager Jason Walsh said. “James told us this was his race at the end of the autumn. He identified Tom Kitten as a stayer and trained him to win the race.

“The confidence to say that and then execute shows you what a great trainer he is.

“You have to remember Tom Kitten is out of world champion sprinter, so he saw something in him that not many would.”

Tom Kitten had been three times unlucky in the lead-up, but Adam Hyeronimus wasn’t going to let that happen again. He had him travelling sweetly on the fence midfield until the turn and then got him out to the centre of the track, and from there his huge motor kicked in.

“Unbelievable. Gee, he’s some horse. He’s a gentle giant but he’s got so much ability. I don’t think they’ve got to the bottom of him, I think he’ll be better next preparation,” Hyeronimus said.

“I was happy to cut the corner instead of peeling him out. I saw my opportunity and I took it. Once he got out I did think I’ve exposed him too early, but he’s just got so much ability.”

Cummings will give some thought to running Tom Kitten in the Victoria Derby next week, but knows next year looms large as well.

“The horse’s misfortunes have been immeasurable these past three starts,” Cummings said. “It’s just fantastic that he was able to get into the clear and he was able to show just how good he is.

“The horse has a classic style about him. He looks like he would eat up 2500m and the VRC Derby is a time-honoured race, so it’s certainly worth thinking about.

“Whatever we do it will revolve around just how well Tom Kitten is, and that’s the bottom line.”

McEvoy gets the best out of Espiona

Kerrin McEvoy kept his perfect record in The Invitation, getting the best out of Espiona on one rein to take out the third running of the $2 million event at Randwick on Saturday.

McEvoy had won the first two editions on Icebath and Promise Of Success, but Espiona ($3.60) is the best of the bunch. She beat fellow group 1 winner Ruthless Dame ($18) by a half-neck with favourite Magic Time ($2.80) a short head back in third.

McEvoy rang Nash Rawiller to get some clues on the quirky mare but needed all his horsemanship to get her home in a driving finish.

“She just laid in a little bit. I wanted to try and extract a bit more out of her, but I didn’t want her to go bananas and have her going in and running into and bumping horses on the inside,” McEvoy said. “I couldn’t get at her with the persuader and was on one rein. It was that fine line.

“I was worried at the 300m, then at the 100m she just did enough to get her bib in front, so it was a nice win.”

The Chris Waller stable landed a treble after Pervade got his first Australian win and Chrysaor caused a surprise in the Callander-Presnell with Tyler Schiller in the saddle. The jockey also had a winning treble winning on Zeyrek and Gringotts to take the lead in the Sydney’s jockey premiership.

“They assured me he was going well at home, even though his first two runs weren’t up to par,” he said of Chrysaor. “He got the great run today, was nearly a little bit unlucky at the top of the straight, but he was strong late.”

Zeyrek surges late to take the Craven

Zeyrek put a luckless effort in the King Charles III Stakes behind him to win the Craven Plate at Randwick on Saturday.

Tyler Schiller got his timing right on Zeyrek ($9.50) to nab Renaissance Woman ($4.60) on the post to score by a half head, with Skyman ($26) a neck back in third.

“It was like the real Zeyrek. He’s put in a couple of good preps now, typical European horse, they do just take that time,” co-trainer Michael Hawkes said. “He didn’t cop the best of rides in the King Charles but today when it got to about the 600m I said to my wife Clare, ‘If he can’t win today he never will’.”

Schiller had followed instructions to the word when he tracked Renaissance Woman into the straight.

“I was always confident following Renaissance Woman that we were going to get the right tow into the race. It was just whether we had enough turn of foot to beat them,” Schiller said. “In the end he did and I thought he might’ve got there a little bit too soon.

“I felt like I got there at the 200m and he just floated for a bit, but he really surged late and dug in.”

Mumbai Muse opens account with Listed win

Michael Freedman finally got a win on Mumbai Muse’s resume in the Brian Crowley Stakes at Randwick on Saturday and believes she can add to it during the Flemington carnival.

Mumbai Muse burst through a gap late to beat General Salute and Keenan in the Listed contest to break her maiden at the sixth time of asking.

“It was a bit of a plan to come back to this race after the Tea Rose and it was good that she got that done because it makes her a valuable broodmare,” Freedman said. “She has raced in top company her whole career and I think she is just working it out.

“There are a couple of nice races in Melbourne for her against the fillies and the way she is going she could go on with it now.”

Tommy Berry concurred with Freedman’s assessment.

“Take her to Melbourne because she is still on her way up,” he said.

Bandi’s Boy to head to Country Championships

Goulburn trainer Danny Williams has always thought Bandi’s Boy has had black-type potential and he will target a Country Championship with the four-year-old after a Highway Handicap at Randwick on Saturday.

Bandi’s Boy took the scalp of Zougotcha as a two-year-old, but has had problems since. He was to his best on Saturday, sprinting away from rivals for a three-quarters of a length from Super Extreme and Sumptuary.

“I put him up as a Kosciuszko horse last year because that is the sort of ability he has,” Williams said.

“He is still maturing and doing things wrong and has had some injury problems, but that’s what he can do when he is right. We might give him another run and put him away for the Country Championship because that will give him another couple of more months to mature.”

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