A WEEKLY REVIEW: The Good The Bad The Ugly

Amid speculation that James Cummings will have a change of command, Godolphin, the blue army of which he is general, was a feature of the star-studded Golden Slipper meeting at Rosehill Gardens.

Wise guys have been sceptical about the Godolphin strike rate recently but the $2.5 million All-Star Mile at Flemington a couple of weeks back and Saturday’s Group One Rosehill Guineas plus a double with Austmar was a worthwhile if not overwhelming result for Cummings.

Also Godolphin’s talented but fiery Tempted in the Golden Slipper did well for third while another of their promising brigade, Contemporary, after a clumsy start, was eye catching although unplaced in the Galaxy.

Yes, the Golden Slipper, touted as the main event, wasn’t one of the greats, in fact regarded well below the average, by Dan O’Sullivan’s The Rating’s Bureau. Still it produced a thrilling finish as did the Rosehill Guineas and George Ryder.

Maybe Via Sistina wasn’t a betting proposition in the Ranvet but is a world best, ridden by champion, James McDonald, and her mix of grace and power was a major attraction.

The Galaxy and Darby Munro produced highly promising winners, Private Harry and Autumn Glow, with the filly deduced by O’Sullivan as producing the superior figure on the day.

Perhaps Godolphin, under Cummings, is down on the overall winning tally, 17^th in the Australian Trainer’s Premiership before Saturday, but hardly on the skids. Still the Australian branch of the mammoth training and breeding conglomerate was tipped to be taken over by Yulong Investments. Two weeks back I put it to Cummings. He replied a firm: “No”.

According to the whispered word, though, Cummings, grandson of Bart and son of Anthony, is Hong Kong bound. After years of attempting to get conformation from trainers and jockeys headed to the world’s most lucrative racing centre and getting negative replies I don’t ask the question anymore. Could there be some non-disclosure clause?

Anyway, Bjorn Baker waltzed passed at Rosehill on Saturday declaring modern racing journalists have some sort of “Hans Christian Anderson” affiliation, obviously the reference comes from his European link on the dam side.

Maybe somebody had fired up the always beaming Baker, linking him in connection with Hong Kong or Godolphin. Not guilty, and Charles Bukowski is more my style than fairy stories.

However if Godolphin was looking to fill the vacancy Baker would be an ideal candidate but he’s flying in Sydney like few others ever, certainly doing better than the remarkable John Size when he made a switch to Honkers that changed the face of racing here.

But Godolphin’s interests were well represented by Darren Beadman on Saturday. The former champion jockey, already Group one winning trainer, scampered through the railings, in the pre-race parade when he noticed Broadsiding getting over-agitated to calm the colt before the Rosehill Guineas. It might have made the difference.

Great in the saddle Beadman extends his expertise on ground level, spending more time with Tempted prior to the Golden Slipper and left the rest to jockey Blake Shinn.

Despite the betting ring being awash with the tears of those with tales of woe who backed Tempted and Aeliana (Rosehill Guineas) it was a GOOD and memorable occasion.

Maybe only 12,111m attended, meagre on the vibrant old days, but plenty sacked the Golden Slipper then because of the comfort factor. Those that wouldn’t go back after Saturday are hard to please.

Did the Rosehill GOOD take a hit with track bias? “On the rail a big advantage?” opined the Sunday Telegraph’s Ron Dufficy, always a useful opinion. Most agree. I dissent.

Yes, leaders Inferencia, Alalcance, Austmarr won but Fangirl (George Ryder) was wide throughout and went down by a nose, Wodeton (Golden Slipper) came from behind and outside Marhoona and was only a head short at the finish. Aeliana (Rosehill Guineas) was beaten a short half head coming down the outside and would have scored had she not been bumped at a vital stage.

Saturday’s Rosehill surface was superb compared to Moonee Valley that gave winner Schultz a considerable up-front advantage in the Group one William Reid Stakes. UGLY to say the least.

“The old track can’t cop rain anymore,” Moonee Valley Racecourse manager, Tony Salisbury commented.

Alas 42 missed tackles by the South Sydney against Cronulla last Saturday qualified under “U”. What happened to Wayne Bennett’s famed defence. Cronulla are a top outfit but the Rabbits trotted out like Shark bait.

Anyway, we have Latrell Mitchell’s return in the near future with a recent headline around Bennett stating he “owns” the full-back position. Mitchell hasn’t earned it to date. We live in hope.