Anthony Cummings believes emerging stayer Sky Boy could prove a mile talent and has a plan to attack next months Villiers Stakes, targeting the free pass to the Doncaster during The Championships.
The Cummings and Cummings stable has two of its more promising horses going to Rosehill on Saturday. Anthony Cummings has big plans as well for Baller, which won on debut at Kembla, much to his surprise. He hopes to get it through to the Magic Millions in January.
On the up: Christian Reith returns wearing a black armband on Sky Boy a fortnight ago.Credit:AAP
“He is another one I have a lot of time for,” Cummings said. “I think both the horses we're taking to the races will win much better races than theyre in on Saturday.”
Sky Boy scored an emotional win, days after the death of his legendary owner Dato Tan Chin Nam, when he beat subsequent Flemington winner Savacool at his first try at 2000m a fortnight ago. He stays at that trip with Cummings planning to drop him back in trip for the group 2.
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“He still doesnt know how to settle and I think the pace over a mile will help him with that,” he said. “He is getting there in these longer races and we are trying to teach him to come back and he still wants to overrace.
“He can have this run and then back to 1800m in a fortnight and into the Villiers fresh with another three weeks off.
“It is a good opportunity to try to get him into a Doncaster and coming back from 2000 metres has always been a good method to a big mile at Randwick.”
Cummings believes the best of Sky Boy will be seen in the autumn but wants to keep him going through the grades while he is going well.
“It is worth going to a race like the Villiers because the reward is so big,” he said.
The wet tracks had hampered the preparation of three-year-old Baller but when he got a dry track at Kembla he put a space into his rivals.
“He just needs that firmer ground, which had been hard to find in the mornings,” Cummings said. “We knew he was a nice horse but we had not put him under much pressure because of the tracks.
“I have to say it surprised me a bit and with Gerry Harvey in [his ownership] we were always going to try to get him to the Magic Millions.
“I know it is a big step to Saturday grade but we need to get money in the bank to get him into the [Magic Millions] Guineas. We will get a good guide on him through Royal Celebration on Saturday, which has good city form.
“We probably go through the Wyong Magic Millions race with him after this.”
Baller is an $8 chance at BetEasy, which has Royal Celebration an odds-on top pick for the three-year-old race at $1.90 with good early support after his last-start win.
"He's got a little bit of a job to do with the 59 but I guess he's earned it and he's sure to run well," Royal Celebrations trainer Ron Quinton said.
"He'll have a holiday after this and we'll bring him back for an Inglis race in February."
Racing writer for The Sydney Morning Herald
