甘明斯奪布里斯本盃
Bart Cummings had only one regret after Viewed smashed a 33-year hoodoo to give him his third Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm.
Cummings, who has won 11 Melbourne Cups, had previous successes in the Brisbane Cup with Fulmen in 1967 and Herminia in 1975 when the race was over the traditional 3200 metres at Group One level.
However, last year the Brisbane Cup was demoted to Group Two and reduced in distance to 2400 metres which effectively denied Cummings his 250th Group One in this year's Brisbane Cup.
"I wish they would have left it the way it was. It probably still should be a Group One," Cummings said.
Referring to his attempt to claim 250 Group Ones, Cummings said: "There's still plenty of time for that."
Cummings, who has gone through the Sydney autumn and in Brisbane so far without claiming his milestone, was thankful he decided to talk the owners out of selling Viewed to Hong Kong earlier this year.
"They (connections) were talking about selling him to Hong Kong but I talked them out of that a couple of months ago," Cummings said.
"He's got a good future here and I can't see why he can't run 3200 metres. It was probably one and three-quarter miles on the heavy track today."
Cummings took great delight from Viewed's victory which he won in a cakewalk by seven lengths to Fulmonti with Port Macquarie stayer Sea Biscuit a neck away third.
"Didn't he bolt it? I told you all he could handle a wet track," he said.
Cummings now plans to spell Viewed for three weeks at Princes Park, west of Sydney, before aiming him along with Queensland Derby placegetter Moatize for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in the spring.
"I think Moatize is more of a Caulfield Cup horse if the track is okay. Without the rain on Saturday morning it might have been different in the Derby for Moatize," he said.
Another who was disappointed the Brisbane Cup was no longer a Group One, was winning jockey Damien Oliver, who already has 80 wins at elite level.
Oliver produced a brilliant ride on Viewed and recommended to Cummings to remove blinkers from the four-year-old in the spring.
"He could be a very good spring horse particularly on a soft track but I would take the shades off," Oliver said.
"I'm sure he will improve.
"It was my first ride on him today. I tracked him the day he won the JRA Plate in Sydney and I noticed how well he let down that day."
Oliver revealed jockey Steve Arnold had advised him how to ride Viewed for his Brisbane Cup success.
"It's bad luck Steve Arnold didn't get his weight to ride him today. Steve told me not to boot him out of the gates but when he lost his position on the first turn I just let him stroll up towards the front."
Trainer Chris Jordan was thrilled with Fulmonti who stormed home in the slushy conditions from last on the home turn.
"It was a super run. We had no options but to go back from the draw and he raced extremely well," Jordan said.
Jordan is now likely to aim Fulmonti at the Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) on June 28.
|
