Flemington straight track to suit Multaja

The highly talented filly Multaja has the opportunity to correct the only blemish on her racing record when she runs in Saturday’s Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes at Flemington.

Along with Encryption in the G2 Danehill Stakes, Ranier in the Listed Exford Plate and Interlocuter in the Listed The Sofitel, Multaja is part of the Godolphin cast supporting Kementari’s G1 bid in the Makybe Diva Stakes.

A winner at her first two starts, Multaja found herself engaged in a tussle for the front at her latest outing and had little in reserve in the push to the line, going down in a tight photo to Sweet Rockette.

Multaja (Dwayne Dunn) switches from the Moonee Valley circle to the straight 1100m at Flemington, and trainer James Cummings is satisfied she has the necessary attributes to handle the change.

“She has the action, the style and the depth,” Cummings said.

“And I’m satisfied that it’s the right thing to bring her back to 1100m.

Cummings also has the advice of Multaja’s rider at Moonee Valley to consider as he plans for Saturday. 

“The Moonee Valley race was a real speed battle and Dwayne Dunn said she might have preferred being ridden more conservatively,” he said.

Encryption (Craig Williams) will be fitted with blinkers for the first time in the G2 Danehill Stakes, a move Cummings is hoping will give the colt confidence.

“He’s tightened up noticeably since the McNeil Stakes and with the blinkers on he’s open to more improvement,” the trainer said.

“He’s giving weight to some nice horses here, but he has experience down the straight at Flemington and he’s a Stakes winner.”

Ranier has the unbeaten colt Brutal to contend with in the Exford Plate, but Cummings is looking forward to the meeting.

“He’ll be up against a very good horse in Brutal, so we should get a good idea of where he is in his preparation,” he said.

“If he can match it with Brutal, I’d say he’s going to have a good prep.”

A new-look Interlocuter (Damian Lane) resumes in the Listed The Sofitel in which the team is hoping to see a return to his form of last spring.

“He’s been gelded since his last preparation and he looks better for it,” Cummings said.

“If he can recapture the form he showed last spring it would be nice, but he was a handicapper on the way up at that time and now he’s graduated to stakes company.”