Golden opportunity with three aces

Godolphin could launch a three-pronged assault on the G1 Golden Rose at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney this month after stablemates In Secret and Golden Mile scored dominant wins in feature Stakes races at the same track on Saturday, 10 September.

High-priced Magic Millions purchase In Secret overpowered G2 Run To The Rose (1,200m) placegetters Best Of Bordeaux and Sweet Ride with Tommy Berry on her back.

Forty minutes earlier, Golden Mile highlighted his potential with an easy win in the G3 Ming Dynasty Quality over 1,400m, sprinting clear to beat Matcha Latte and Basquait with Sam Clipperton in the saddle.

The three-year-olds are now among the top fancies for the Golden Rose on 24 September, while the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Daumier is also a possible runner in the big G1 feature.

In Secret, who took her record to three wins and a second from just four starts for prize money and bonuses of A$349,275, was spotted by Godolphin Australia's team at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“We bought her for A$900,000, she was the only yearling we bought that year,” said Cox, who was with Cummings in Melbourne overseeing runners at Flemington.

“For her to turn around and do what she’s done already is just fantastic. Obviously, we are delighted and hope she can win a few more. Golden Mile was quite outstanding, it’s a wonderful result for the team. The training team and wider teams on our farms identified this horse very early on as a horse with considerable potential."

Godolphin representative Darren Beadman was at Rosehill to saddle up In Secret and has a high opinion of the filly.

“The race set up nicely for her and she’s been crying out for a dry track,” the Hall Of Fame jockey said. “The team’s been very patient with her and she’s top shelf.”

Beadman also watched Golden Mile, who enhanced his record to two wins and a second from three starts for prize money earnings of A$166,000, make a statement in the lead-up to the A$1 million Golden Rose.  

“He’s out of a Stakes-winning mare (Calaverite) by a Golden Rose winner (Astern), so he ticks a lot of boxes,” Beadman said. “The best thing I like about this horse is his attitude. He’s got a great set of jowls on him and when you push the button he goes.”

Clipperton was impressed with Golden Mile and thought the handsome colt would get better with further racing.

“He’s got such a beautiful, long action he doesn’t actually feel like he’s changing gears,” the jockey said. “But when you asked him to go he went past them. He had the race run to suit but I’d expect more improvement third and fourth-up.”

Cox and the Cummings team will decide in the next few days if Golden Mile and In Secret will run in the Golden Rose, possibly against Blue Diamond Stakes winner Daumier.

“At this stage we’d be silly if didn’t look at running both,” Cox said. “Anthony and Sam (Freedman) hope to have Daumier there as well. Hopefully, the three are heading in that direction, whether we end up with all three in the race remains to be seen. But it’s a nice position to be in.”