Broadsiding takes the spotlight in Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill

Pericles (Street Boss) and Tom Kitten (Harry Angel) are two established stars in the Godolphin Australia stable, but head trainer James Cummings thinks so much of exciting three-year-old Broadsiding that he’s decided to stay in Sydney to witness first-hand the colt’s comeback at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

While Pericles and Tom KItten will resume in the G1 Futurity Stakes over 1,400m at Caulfield, Broadsiding returns to racing in the G2 Hobartville Stakes over the same distance.

The three-time G1 winner and former Champion Two-Year-Old put in an excellent third-place finish in the G1 Cox Plate in record time at his last start, cementing his status as the fastest three-year-old colt in this race.

A good spell and two Warwick Farm barrier trials now have Broadsiding right where Cummings wants with the Sydney autumn carnival just around the corner.

“We are eager in anticipation for his return for this carnival,” Cummings said on Thursday.

“The Hobartville is a beautiful kick-off point for him over seven furlongs at Rosehill.

“He’ll be comfortable in this race and it should provide him with the perfect launching pad in his campaign.

“When it’s all said and done, I’ll actually stay in Sydney despite having horses in G1s in Melbourne.

“He’s a very important horse to stay on top of and I’d love to see the way he starts his preparation in person.”

Broadsising burst onto the G1 scene in a short period last year, winning the G1 Champagne Stakes and G1 J.J. Atkins, both over 1,600m, before resuming with a first-up victory in the Golden Rose in September.

The colt by Too Darn Hot has grown and matured during his spell and should be even better this preparation.

“I like the way he’s gone about his preliminaries, he’s forward and feeling good,” Cummings said.

“I think he’s spot-on for this run and, while there’s improvement in him, I think everyone will be impressed when they see him parade on the weekend.

“I’m really confident that he’s come back well and yet there’s nothing like race day for that to be the ultimate test.

“He means business and he’ll be there to run very well.”

Although placed at 2,040m in the G1 Cox Plate, Cummings doesn’t necessarily see a middle-distance future for Broadsiding.

“We are dealing with a versatile horse; I could keep him to his own age or I could also keep him to 1,500m-1,600m, races like the George Ryder, the Doncaster and the All Aged,” he said.

“I think we’ve got options with a versatile colt and, with his stud value in mind, whilst it’s important to win G1s, it’s also advantageous to demonstrate the pace that he’s got, that impressive closing speed.

“We are anticipating that he’s come back in top order, and he’s got even more opportunity to assert his reputation and build on it as a three-time G1-winning colt.

“I’ve got the first few steps on the path worked out, but we’ll get through the Randwick Guineas at least before we lock in our next move.”

With champion jockey James McDonald away riding in the Middle East, Zac Lloyd will take the reins on Broadsiding, with Adam Hyeronimus to ride the stable’s only other Rosehill runner, Beiwacht (Bivouac).

The two-year-old Bivouac colt lines up in the G2 Silver Slipper Stakes over 1,100m at his third race start.

Unlucky when trapped wide on debut at Randwick on 25 January, Beiwacht made amends with a narrow second in the Listed Darley Lonhro Plate at the same track two weeks later.

“He was only beaten a little over three lengths on debut on the 25th when nothing went right for him,” Cummings said.

“We kept the faith and we pressed on to the harder race.

“He bumped into a horse who just went a bit better than him, but he got back on the right path and turned a negative into a positive.

“If he can keep improving, I can see him mixing it with these horses.

“To see him competitive against these horses should set him up well for assignments down the track.”

Another of Cummings’ Sydney two-year-olds, Tempted (Street Boss), heads to Caulfield for the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes over 1,200m with the experienced Craig Williams aboard after an excellent second in the G3 Widden Stakes at Rosehill three weeks ago.

“Tempted went very well in the Widden, she drew the wide barrier and got left with a lot to do on a day when it was advantageous to be up near the lead and on the rail,” Cummings said.

“Coming out of a race like that, where the pace was solid all the way, she’ll have been improved by that.

“I think it’s a good lead-up for the Blue Diamond and I think it gives her every opportunity to be seasoned enough to be tackling those horses in this early G1.

“I think she’s shaping as a pretty promising two-year-old for our team, if she can come through the Blue Diamond.”

Anthony and Sam Freedman have also decided to start Tentyris in the Blue Diamond after the improving Godolphin youngster dead-heated in the Listed Talindert Stakes at Flemington last Saturday at just his second race start.

“He pulled up super and has had an excellent week,” Sam Freedman said.

“All the signs you look for when they are backing up, we’ve seen them this week.

“He’s gone better at his second start, which you need to when you go to a race like this.

“But we really do believe that he’s probably going to run a peak performance.”

Freedman said Tentyris reminded him of the stable’s 2022 Blue Diamond winner Daumier – who was also owned by Godolphin.

“He’s not that dissimilar to Daumier, who showed really good fight to fend them off from either side in the Preview,” Freedman said.

“In the Diamond, he did the same thing when they came to him, he fought them off.

“I liked the other day, he (Tentyris) didn’t shirk his task to run down that other horse who was a lot more seasoned with more runs on the board.

“He was up for the challenge and I think on Saturday you’ll see the type of horse who really enjoys the hustle and bustle of things happening round him.

“He’s got tactical speed so Damian (Lane) will just begin, squeeze and work out the pace.

“He’s capable of putting himself in the firing line and fending them off.

“It’s usually a very good sign for a young colt.”

Pericles and Tom Kitten concede race fitness to most of their rivals in the G1 Futurity Stakes, but Cummings expects both to run boldly.

“Pericles has been to Caulfield already and Blake has a good association with the horse,” he said.

“He’s a reliable horse and he’s going to turn up and run a good race.

“He hasn’t cracked it at G1 level in 10 goes yet, but one of these days just could be his day.

“Tom Kitten, I think he’s still on the up that horse.

“There’s nothing wrong with the form from the Golden Eagle, it’s already produced two individual G1 winners and he was the first Australian horse home in that race.

“He hasn’t had a chance to look around Caulfield yet, but the inner draw was valuable to him and Ben Melham should be able to enjoy run-of-the-race stuff with him.”

Cummings accepted with Polyglot at Rosehill but instead floated the three-year-old to Melbourne to tackle the G3 Zedative Stakes over 1,200m with Ben Melham booked to ride.

“We did dual accept and he was nicely in the handicap (Rosehill), but the Zedative was a hard race to resist,” Cummings added.

“With the blinkers on and keeping him at six furlongs, he should acquit himself well in that race.”