“From the moment I’ve sat on him in the Fernhill, to see his development from race to race to race is just incredible.
“He hasn’t gone up step by step, he’s skipped a couple.”
Broadsiding backed from $3.30 to start $2.15 in one of the biggest group 1 plunges this century.
Broadsiding had a head to spare at the post from Traffic Warden ($6.50), with Mayfair ($21) a long head. It wasn’t a big margin, but it was a comprehensive win.
“He was always going to pick them up; he just has a will to win that is unmatched,” McDonald said. “He’s going to get better again.”
It was McDonald’s 99th group 1 win and Cummings’ 50th as a trainer, and Broadsiding is sure to draw comparisons with their best horses.
“Plenty of good horses can win at 1400m first up; we did it with Anamoe in a Winx Stakes,” Cummings said. “It was the right thing to do by the horse and his preparation.
“He won by a narrow margin, but he keeps winning, which adds pressure, but that is what we are striving for – excellence.”
While Broadsiding will head to Melbourne, Traffic Warden will take on the best sprinters in the country as Godolphin’s representative in The Everest.
“It’s a big moment for their careers [to quinella the Golden Rose], two horses that are going in, I feel like, different directions but two class animals,” Cummings said.
Makarena delivers Golden Pendant birthday present
Michael Hawkes was able to find a birthday present for wife Clare as Makarena delivered in the group 2 Golden Pendant at Rosehill on Saturday.
The classy Snitzel mare is owned by the Hawkes family, and Michael’s mum Jenny and sister-in-law Jane are in the ownership. He admitted to thinking she always had group 1 potential, which she is finally showing.
Makarena had a throat operation between her three and four-year-old season.
“It has given her a new lease of life,” Hawkes said.
“She showed her true colours today. It was all about really just trying to get her in a rhythm.”
“That was a different race at 1400m, Zac [Lloyd] got her into a beautiful rhythm and she travelled well.
“She’s still learning. She got to the front and had a bit of a look around but when it counted, Zac just gave her a little nudge and away she went.”
Schiller special makes Amor Victorious in Shannon
Bjorn Baker debated whether to run Amor Victorious in Saturday’s Shannon Stakes, and when the saddle shifted at barrier rise he was probably wishing he hadn’t, but a superb steer from Tyler Schiller delivered an unlikely victory.
Amor Victorious, which is a noted leader and was wearing blinkers for the first time, was kept in rhythm and went little faster than he has this preparation and had enough in hand to hold off the challengers.
“We’ve got some good races for him now,” Baker said. “We’ve got the Five Diamonds Prelude maybe into the Five Diamonds. It was good to see him do that.”
Amor Victorious ($8.50) won by half-length from Punch Lane ($14) with New Endeavour ($26) three-quarters of a length away in third. A lot of the credit for the victory has to go to Schiller.
“I knew [the saddle] was back but I was still balanced,” Schiller said.
“I could still put my irons where I could. So I was comfortable but I was just happy that the horse underneath me kept travelling.
“He jumped really sharp, did everything right and pretty much I just rode to Bjorn’s instructions. I just quickened up from the 600 and tried to get them chasing. He did a great job to tough it out and I thought he was very brave.”
First Light wins his way to the Metrop
Premier trainer Chris Waller will have a raft of runners in next week’s Metropolitan and First Light will join them after a comprehensive victory in the Colin Stephen Quality at Rosehil.
Tommy Berry sat back in the field before letting First Light ($4.80) have his head as he romped to a three-length win from Changingoftheguard ($5), with favourite Strathtay ($3.20 fav) a short neck back in third.
“He has had the flashing light on him the past two runs and he just needs to get his toe in the ground,” Berry said. “He had a really turn of foot on that ground and was dynamic and will be a lightweight hope next week.”
Waller could have up to eight runners in the Metrop.
Slow start no sweat for Perspiration
Star apprentice Zac Lloyd knew he was on the back foot from barrier rise on Perspiration in the Heritage Stakes at Rosehill, but he had enough under him to take victory.
Perspiration ($11) was three to four lengths behind the field but tacked on by the top of the straight and came to the outside and proved too strong for Gatsby’s ($1.65 fav) in a driving finish, with Ikasara ($3.80) left 2 lengths in their wake.
“It was a super win. He reared as the gates opened, which made his job that bit harder, but he’s a top quality colt,” Lloyd said. “I was a very confident on the turn but still had some work to do.”
