James Cummings and Godolphin may have wished Golden Mile had been able to succeed in the breeding barn, but the gelding continues to play a key role in their team.
The Astern colt will begin the next chapter of his racing career this Saturday in the $250,000 Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) at Randwick.
After his victory in the 2022 Caulfield Guineas, he stood briefly for a $16,500 fee at Sheikh Mohammed’s Northwood Park in Victoria but was forced to retire after suffering an injury following 14 mares covered, leading to his gelding.
Golden Mile is not the first Group 1 winner to be brought back into training after a brief period at stud. Following in the footsteps of Kementari, the Randwick Guineas winner, Cummings is eager to see his performance this weekend.
“We’d be thrilled to see him convert on what he’s been showing us on the track over the past couple of months,” Cummings commented.
This Saturday marks Golden Mile’s first start since he placed third in the Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on May 4, 2023. It will be his 20th start, with five wins and over $4.3m in earnings to his name.
Carrying 58.5kg, most of which will be made up by Adam Hyeronimus, Golden Mile will begin from barrier six in the Liverpool City Cup. The horse is currently listed as an $11 chance with betting apps.
Golden Mile’s first trial of the preparation was low-key, but he went on to claim an impressive win over 900m at Warwick Farm on February 11.
“The horse has been flying and feeling good,” said Cummings.
“No one has got a bigger opinion of the way Golden Mile has been going at Osborne Park than Golden Mile himself,” Cummings added.
“I love the way he’s been trialling from one trial to the next.”
Cummings’ other runner at Randwick is Comedy, a Snitzel two-year-old who will compete in the Group 3 Skyline Stakes over 1200m, which serves as a stepping stone toward the Golden Slipper on March 22.
“I just love Comedy stretching out in distance, he’ll eat up the ground,” Cummings said.
“Three weeks could be key for him to be a legitimate contender in the Golden Slipper.”
“He’s been doing everything to suggest he’d be competitive most years (in a Skyline Stakes),” Cummings added.
Josh Parr will ride Comedy, who has drawn barrier seven, and is expected to be a strong rival to the dominant favourite Shaggy, who has won all three of his starts so far.
