布文將策意國小城出戰寶馬錦標
Hugh Bowman has been rewarded for his recent hard work on dual Group One winner Sirmione with the ride on the gelding in Saturday's BMW at Rosehill.
Trainer Bart Cummings said he was not unhappy with Melbourne jockey Peter Mertens who has won two Group One races on Sirmione but said Bowman's services at trackwork had been invaluable.
"Hugh has done a lot of work on him and got him going on his right leg," Cummings said,
"I've told Peter he will ride the horse when he is in Melbourne but I think it's best for Hugh to ride him here.
"He's been doing the work on him and I'm happy with Sirmione now."
Sirmione was uncomfortable racing the right handed way failed to run on in the Ranvet Stakes at Canterbury with Cummings saying the tight circuit did not suit him.
Although his two Group One victories in the Mackinnon Stakes and Australian Cup have been over 2000m at Flemington, Sirmione does have two wins in the clockwise direction and was also a close third in last year's Queensland Derby.
After Sirmione's eighth to Tuesday Joy in the Ranvet, Mertens explained to stewards he had tracked Princess Coup into the race as he had in the Mackinnon and Australian Cup when she finished second in both races.
But Sirmione failed to pick up the pace in the Ranvet and Princess Coup put three lengths on him quickly and went to the line strongly to finish 1-3/4 lengths second to Tuesday Joy.
The trainer is confident the bigger Rosehill track will suit Sirmione when he returns to his pet distance of 2400 metres.
Cummings was without a runner in Saturday's Rosehill Guineas won by Dealer Principal who is trained by his son Anthony.
But the family patriarch will be back in force at Rosehill where he is trying to notch an amazing milestone of 250 Group One winners.
Among his runners is Related who will contest the $3.5 million Golden Slipper and fillies Mimi Lebrock and Occurrence in the Coolmore Classic.
Cummings has won four Golden Slippers but the most recent was Century Miss in 1979.
It has also been a long time since his last win in the BMW with Beau Zam in 1988 while his most recent Coolmore victory was a year later with Red Express.
This season, the 80-year-old Cummings is enjoying a resurgence following the equine influenza disruption and is currently fourth on the Sydney trainers' premiership.
|
