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By Ray Hickson

Talented Godolphin three-year-old Tom Kitten reaches his spring fork in the road on Saturday with trainer James Cummings looking for a pointer to how his campaign should progress.

Trainer James Cummings (Pic: Bradley Photos)

The major aim appears to be next month’s Group 1 $2m Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) but what unfolds in the Listed $250,000 Catanach’s Jewellers Dulcify Stakes (1600m) will tell Cummings how to get there.

Cummings said on SEN the Caulfield Guineas is a viable option if Tom Kitten was to prove dominant at Royal Randwick but isn’t locked into anything.

“There’s a little bit to play out,’’ Cummings said.

“There’s a very suitable race in Sydney on the same day in the Gloaming (over 1800m).

“We’re prepared to keep him in Sydney if we think that’s the right way to get him ready for the Spring Champion Stakes.”

Tom Kitten is the current $3.50 favourite for the Spring Champion and was $2.40 with TAB on Thursday in the Dulcify on the back of his third behind Encap in the Ming Dynasty three weeks ago.

That’s proven to be a good formline with Encap going down narrowly to Militarize in the Group 1 Golden Rose last weekend and Cummings said all the form around the colt has been encouraging.

“I’m delighted with Tom Kitten, he’s had the right preparation,’’ he said.

“With the two runs under his belt since, and with the very good form, he’s ready to step out to 1600m now in a big field.

“You’ve seen a horse like Griff come down to Melbourne with the Tom Kitten form and perform well. There’s nothing wrong with the form out of the Ming Dynasty.

“It’ll be an interesting race but our Tom Kitten is ready to charge to the line.”

The colt has raced twice over the Randwick mile to date, he won the Fernhill earlier this year and finished fourth in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes.

The Spring Champion is also on the radar of David Payne’s lightly raced gelding Agita who comes to town after two wins at Kembla Grange in August.

Payne has designs on the 2024 ATC Derby with Agita and while he might find the mile a bit sharp at this level fresh he’s looking for a solid performance.

“He’s still learning, he looks a nice late maturer, Payne said.

“He’s a nice horse, more of a Derby horse I would think.

“I gave him a week in the paddock after his last run so I want to kick him off there and go to the Gloaming and then the Spring Champion.”

Payne won the Dulcify in 2013 with Rock Hero who progressed on to the Group 1 at his next start when the race was run the following week.

Tom Kitten runs third in the Ming Dynasty

James Cummings on Zapateo (race 7): “I really think she’s going well. There was a slight suspicion I had going into the first-up run that she might have trialled a bit too well in the week leading up to that race. There’s a lot to like of the form coming out of the Sheraco. We feel our mare hasn’t gone backwards.”

On Athelric (race 7): “He got beaten four lengths and probably was cost a length or a length and a half when he got buffeted with 150m to go (in the Shorts). He can give a bit of a sight but it will set him up well to be a chance in the Sydney Stakes. I think he will acquit himself a bit better than he did first-up and he’s still improving.”

On Golden Mile (race 8): “Blake has got his work cut out for him, but it’s not entirely impossible for widely drawn runners to win big mile races at Randwick. He’s kept improving and he looks better than he has all preparation. I think he has to be ridden right to get the full 1600m, but things can unfold from out there.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting