Anthony Cummings will be out to put a rare stamp on the BMW at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, at a time when trainers are under siege by cobalt, emphasised by the recent departure of Peter Moody.

Montaigne (NZ) Looks At Second Group 1 In The BMW

Mar 22, 2016

Randwick trainer Anthony Cummings considers his three-year-old Montaigne (NZ) a Group 1 level galloper and the progression that the Road To Rock gelding has made in his six starts to-date suggests that Cummings’ assessment will be vindicated.

That assessment of Montaigne is such that Cummings is seriously considering taking on the older horses in the $1.5m, Group 1 WFA The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill on Saturday, just a week after Montaigne ran second in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas over 2000m to Tarzino (NZ).

The rain that has dumped a remarkable 125mm on Randwick over the past days has Cummings looking at the race this coming Saturday as an alternative to not being able to work on the training tracks at Randwick because of the rain, as well as the race being open for Montaigne.

“The horse has pulled up the best he has at any stage so far,” said Cummings on Sky Sports Radio on Tuesday.

“It looks probably a more winnable race for him than the Derby, there is a chance that if the mile and a half is a challenge for him, and on his pedigree it might, it is a softer mile and a half at Rosehill than at Randwick, so it seem to be quite a reasonable option and it remains attractive.

“You have to weigh up all the different options and opportunities and on face value he looks pretty well placed in this race.

“You always have to be mindful that this is his first racing preparation, so you have to be conservative to getting to this level, but he has done it so comfortably and so well that he does open doors more than close them as he goes through the preparation.

“He is nice and bright and well, he has maintained his weight from the run on Saturday and they are all the sorts of things to make it happen and these opportunities possible. There is a lot of money to be had,” he said.

Montaigne has raced six times and after winning his two races earlier in the year he was third in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes over 1400m on February 20th, fifth in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas over 1600m on March 5th and then second on Saturday. He has earned stakes of $259,700 for connections who include Cummings.

With Blake Shinn, the jockey last Saturday in the Rosehill Guineas, already committed to a Waller trained runner, Cummings has booked Damien Oliver for the ride on Saturday.

Montaigne is currently at $11.00 and $3.16 with TAB.com.au for The BMW with the Waller trained Preferment (NZ), the last start winner of the Group 1 Australian Cup over 2000m at Flemington, the current favourite at $3.50 and $1.54.

Acceptances for The BMW are taken on Wednesday morning.

Copy: ThoroughbredNews

Image: Montaigne (NZ) sporting the black AJC blinkers finishing second to Tarzino (NZ), Sportpix