Godolphin will look to group 1s with Avilius after he made it three from three in Australia with another powerhouse win in the Kingston Town Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
The former French stayer is a $2.80 favourite for the Metropolitan in a fortnight and $8 second pick in the Caulfield Cup after running down Brimham Rock and I Am Serious to win by three-quarters of a length easing down.
“He has been a breath of fresh air, this horse. He is certainly a proper horse,” Godolphin spokesman Darren Beadman said. “He can’t be penalised because of the set weights penalties for this race for the Metropolitan and the cups if the team decides to go that way.
Bounding away: Avilius wins the Kingston Town Stakes.
‘‘At the moment, the world is his oyster and he is a horse with a bright future.”
Avilius would need to win the Metropolitan and get a penalty to gain a Caulfield Cup start, as he sits 57th on the order of entry.
Glyn Schofield gave up about six lengths at the top of the straight but he had confidence in the sizzling turn of foot of Avilius.
“He just floats along early on, and as the race starts to gather its momentum through the 600m he grabs the bridle and picks up,” Schofield said. “You’re just looking for somewhere to go with him, get him to the clear air on the outside, and he did the rest.”
Schofield was suspended for careless riding at the 1000m on Avilius and will miss five meetings, starting on Wednesday, meaning he will be back for the Metropolitan.
Just like mum
John Singleton’s filly Miss Fabulass had been Flight Stakes favourite when betting opened, but one bad run had her start $9 in the Tea Rose Stakes, which she made a mockery of on Saturday.
Onwards and upwards: Miss Fabulass will go to the Flight Stakes after winning the Tea Rose Stakes on Saturday.
Trainer Kris Lees decided to ride her back in the 1400m group2 and the daughter of Frankel and Samantha Miss responded with a great turn of foot to explode to a 1 length win, matching mum’s effort of winning the race.
“We felt she would be better ridden quieter,’ Lees said. “[Kerrin McEvoy] had plenty of horse underneath him, and they weren’t going that quick, but he just looked for a bit of room and she really let fly. We know she can do that once or twice a week at home. [The Flight Stakes] has been the aim. She has the brilliance of her mum.
‘‘She just hasn’t got the race sense, but it’s coming.”
McEvoy said Miss Fabulass was still learning her trade but the talent is there to win the Flight.
“She’s a nice filly, obviously untried at the mile, but if we can just get her to switch off she is going to run it out really strong and be really hard to beat in that race,” McEvoy said. “The best is yet to come still. She is only going to improve. Dare to say that she is going to be even better next prep.”
Playing the slots
The fun and games of negotiating a slot for the Kosciuszko started straight after the slot-holders were drawn on Friday.
Matt Dunn with favourite Care To Think and Jenny Graham with Victorem fielded calls on Friday night from those lucky to get one of the 12 slots.
“We haven’t had a deal yet,” Dunn said. “I’m getting close with Care To Think, but you are not worried about him getting in the race because someone is going to take him. There was one call about Snitz, which was good, and hopefully we can get something done there.”
Graham said she was weighing up a couple of offers for Victorem.
Meanwhile Rod Northam was all smiles with After All That’s fourth in The Shorts on Saturday.
“My phone was ringing as the horse was coming back,” he said.
Bad Dreaming
Racing NSW stewards are still waiting for the out of competition test of Everest slot-holder In Her Time to come back after the suspension of her former trainer Ben Smith during the week.
El Dorado Dreaming was scratched from the Tea Rose Stakes when his swab, which was pushed through, showed the presence of a prohibited substance.
Smith is going to withdraw his request for a stay of procedings.
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