Trainer James Cummings has plenty of Autumn Carnival options for Microphone after the top class three year old found his way back to the winner’s stall with a first class performance in the Group 2 $200,000 Hyland Race Colours Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield today.
Microphone, above, finished strongly to win the Autumn Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Microphone was having his second run back from a spell and winning jockey Damian Lane gave him a perfect ride, third on the fence, before driving him to the line to secure the win.
The Danny O’Brien trained Banquo ($6.50) with Brett Prebble aboard was in front for a long time in the straight but couldn’t hold out the strong finish of Microphone to go down by a head while Adelaide Ace ($4.20) stuck to his task over the concluding stages to finish in third spot.
Although Microphone proved superior at the finish, the punters who took the short odds had to wait until the last few stride before they could cheer home the $2.60 favourite.
Cummings now has the option of keeping Microphone in Melbourne for the Autumn Carnival and run in either the Group 1 $500,000 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 22 or in the Group 1 $1m Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on February 29 or head back to Sydney for the three year old Group 1s.
Cummings hinted that the Group 1 $1m Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick on March 7 could be a suitable Sydney Autumn Carnival target.
“It is good to see this colt return in this sort of great condition and that desire to get up and win,” Cummings said.
“It was a good drive to the line and he really motored late to pick them up. He was always looking for further and it was the right race for him today.”
“Damian really had to lift him late and he raced like a colt that was well and truly enjoying it. He seems to love that winning post and he has a great winning record.”
“We have him in the Australian Guineas, it is in three weeks. We have him in the Randwick Guineas and whether we take him back to Sydney and run him in the Hobartville in a fortnight.”
“Another Group 1 on his resume would be fantastic. There are options with him and there is even the Futurity here in a couple of weeks.”
Microphone was one of the stars during his two year old season and after finishing second to his stablemate Kiamichi in the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill during the 2019 Sydney Autumn Carnival, went on to win at next start in the Group 1 $1m Inglis Sires’ (1400m) at Randwick.
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