James Cummings and Godolphin may have hoped Golden Mile would have been more successful in the breeding barn, but the gelding remains an important member of the team.
This Saturday, Golden Mile will embark on the next stage of his racing journey in the $250,000 Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) at Randwick.
Golden Mile, the son of Astern, briefly stood for a fee of $16,500 at Sheikh Mohammed’s Northwood Park in Victoria after winning the 2022 Caulfield Guineas. However, following an injury after covering 14 mares, he was retired from stud duties and gelded.
Golden Mile follows in the footsteps of Kementari, another Group 1 Guineas winner, who also returned to training after a short stint at stud. Cummings is excited to see how the gelding performs this weekend.
“We’d be thrilled to see him convert on what he’s been showing us on the track over the past couple of months,” Cummings said.
Golden Mile’s first start since placing third in the Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on May 4 will be the Liverpool City Cup. With five wins and over $4.3 million in earnings, the horse will carry 58.5kg, with Adam Hyeronimus taking the reins from barrier six. He is priced at $11 with betting apps.
After a relaxed trial earlier in the preparation, Golden Mile impressed with a strong victory over 900m at Warwick Farm on February 11.
“The horse has been flying and feeling good,” Cummings remarked.
“No one has a higher opinion of Golden Mile’s work at Osborne Park than Golden Mile himself,” Cummings joked.
“I love the way he’s been trialling from one trial to the next,” he added.
Cummings’ other hope at Randwick is Snitzel two-year-old Comedy, who will contest the Group 3 Skyline Stakes as part of the build-up to the Golden Slipper in March.
“I just love Comedy stretching out in distance, he’ll eat up the ground,” Cummings said.
“Three weeks could be critical for him to have a real chance in the Golden Slipper.”
“He’s doing everything right to suggest he’d be competitive in most Skyline Stakes,” Cummings noted.
Comedy will be ridden by Josh Parr, with barrier seven to contend with, and will be a strong challenge to the highly regarded favourite Shaggy, who is unbeaten in his three starts so far.
