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By Ray Hickson

Fresh from snaring his 50th Group 1 success, Godolphin trainer James Cummings is eyeing a first Metropolitan at Randwick on Saturday and he’s banking on Zardozi producing her best.

Trainer James Cummings (Pic: Steve Hart).

Last season’s VRC Oaks winner and ATC Oaks runner-up has been a shade below Cummings’ hopes in the lead up to the Group 1 $750,000 James Squire Metropolitan (2400m) but he said dropping to the 52kg is on her side.

Zardozi, $9.50 with TAB on Thursday, finished fifth in the Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) two weeks ago, four lengths from Eliyass, but Cummings said she bounced off a somewhat similar performance in the autumn.

“She’s been all right in at least two of her three runs this prep and I feel like she’s really warming to a big performance,’’ Cummings said on RSN.

“We were not in a completely dissimilar boat in the lead up to the ATC Oaks in the autumn and I have that in mind when I have persevered toward the Metropolitan despite her unplaced run in the Kingston Town.

“She drops nicely in weight from the set weights and penalties to the handicap which she has been crying out for this preparation.

“Stepping out to a mile and a half is right in her wheelhouse so I can see a lot of parallels from the steps she took from the Vinery to the ATC Oaks last preparation.”

Cummings said it’s possible being a spring four-year-old that it’s all come a bit too soon, something that can happen when making the transition from restricted three-year-old racing.

But that’s where the drop from the 56kg in the Kingston Town to the 52kg on Saturday can work in her favour as she has already proven herself to be a strong stayer.

“It will give us an insight into whether or not she needed to take another prep at open age company before her maturity can catch up to her rating against these horses,’’ he said.

“It’s a matter of being more patient and that’s what we’re prepared to do.

“We’re strongly of the opinion we need to take advantage of her handicap and the Metropolitan seems to me to be the right race to be doing so. I’m rather confident she can run a race.”

If Tom Kitten takes his place in the Group 1 $1.5m TAB Epsom (1600m) then you can be sure Cummings and the Godolphin team thinks he is a good chance to join his 2018 winner Hartnell on the honour roll.

Barrier 19 was served up to the four-year-old, a gate Cummings clearly believes has more than a little potential to cause problems.

The gelding had an ordinary passage through the Bill Ritchie two weeks ago and in running fifth far from disgraced himself.

“If we run him then we’re going to be convinced we can win the race. It does look fairly challenging,’’ he said.

“Sometimes you can draw wide and you really rue the draw. Nothing really went right for the horse in his main lead up, the Bill Ritchie, two weeks ago.

Zardozi runs fifth in the Kingston Town Stakes

“Tom Kitten would have to be at his absolute best with the 54kg to be getting over the top of them. The Epsom is nevertheless going to be a really reliable form race if we are to be intent on setting the horse for the Golden Eagle.

“That aside we’re delighted with the way the horse has arrived at the Epsom third up. He’s trained like a winner and he’s been very patiently prepared to be running his best race for us for the preparation so far.”

Tom Kitten is a $26 chance in the Golden Eagle all-in market.

All the fields, form and replays for TAB Epsom Day at Randwick on Saturday