BROADSIDING READY TO PEAK

JAMES Cummings has had a handful of runners in the Cox Plate and he’s already struck gold in the race with a victory in 2022 with Anamoe and he’s confident he has the right horse this year with Broadsiding at The Valley tomorrow.

It could have been two successive Cox Plates for Cummings as Anamoe finished an unlucky second the year before when he was a three-year-old colt going down narrowly to State Of Rest.

Cummings did not have a runner last year. His only other runner in the Cox Plate has been Avilius who finished fourth in 2018 and seventh in 2019.

“He’s well and truly ready to run the best of this campaign,” Cummings said on SEN.

“He’s a happy colt, he’s had an excellent fortnight since the Caulfield Guineas and he looks perfectly ready to step up to 10 furlongs to be tested in the hardest test we could give the horse in the spring as a three-year-old.”

At his last start Broadsiding finished fourth in the Caulfield Guineas where he ran on after being slowly away and then suffering interference in the early stages. Before that run he had strung together five wins including the Golden Rose Stakes at Rosehill.

The last three-year-old to win the Cox Plate was Shamus Award in 2013 which was the 20th member of his age group to have done so.

“He’s been lightly raced this spring and I feel like the horse is ready to peak. It would be an incredible achievement for the horse, if he could rise to the occasion and win a Cox Plate,” Cummings said.

“To even get there and run well against these horses would be tremendous for his reputation.”

“But he’s already accomplished so much and already proven that he’s more than just a champion two-year-old.”

“He’s in a perfect frame of mind and I don’t know about comparing one year to the next, in how confident I am.

PlayUp has the impressive Japanese raider Prognosis as a $3.40 favourite. Via Sistina is $4.20 and Pride Of Jenni at $4.40.

THE TIPS

1. PROGNOSIS
2. Via Sistina
3. Pride Of Jenni
4. Kovalica
5. Mr Brightside