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By Ray Hickson

Expectations are high for Godolphin’s three-year-old crop this spring but it’ll be up to one of the elder statesmen Cascadian to chase the first Group 1 of the season at Randwick on Saturday.

Godolphin trainer James Cummings (Pic: Bradley Photos).

Trainer James Cummings is rapt with how the Doncaster Mile winner, often referred to as the ‘baldy faced assassin’, has progressed ahead of the Group 1 $500,000 Winx Stakes (1400m) and sees nothing less than a trademark performance coming.

It took the seven-year-old until his 11th attempt to score at the top level but Cummings said in the autumn he proved himself at weight-for-age and that augurs well for the spring.

“He well and truly has to measure up to top class weight-for-age horses here,’’ Cummings said.

“But with his performances in the George Ryder and the All Aged Stakes, combined with the meat in the sandwich which was his Doncaster victory, he’s got the credentials to be highly competitive.

“I think he is going particularly well, I must say 1400m first-up is an attractive set up for him.”

It could be argued that Cascadian should have won the All Aged, over the same course as the Winx Stakes, when he was held up before diving late in a close third behind Kolding and he’s one of the genuine 1400m-1600m horses in the season opening Group 1.

Kolding was second favourite with TAB at $5 on Thursday, behind Verry Elleegant, while Cascadian was a $10 chance.

Cummings sent the gelding to Hawkesbury for a public trial on July 19 and he returned there on August 9 and had a searching hitout in an unofficial jumpout won by Icebath that also featured Colette.

“I gave him a good hitout and he got out of it what he needed, I feel like he’s come on nicely,’’ Cummings said.

While his record shows two first-up wins they were both in Europe but he’s been competitive fresh in each local campaign.

As the ‘elder statesman’ of the blue army, Cummings said Cascadian has earned the right to be aimed at some big spring targets – hence kicking off in the Winx Stakes – and earmarked the Group 1 $1m George Main Stakes (1600m) as an immediate aim.

He’ll also likely be given the chance, subject to what the handicapper says, to complete the Doncaster-Epsom Handicap double in the calendar year in the $1.5m spring feature mile.

“This campaign will well and truly be an opportunity for Cascadian to convert that expectation into more silverware for the Edgecliff cabinet,’’ Cummings said.

“I think an important target will be the George Main if he can resume and hit the ground running.

“I suppose the Epsom will be a good chance for him as well, it might not be a bad idea if he is airborne.”

Godolphin has dual representation in the Group 3 $160,000 Bowermans Commercial Furniture Toy Show (1100m) with Tailleur and Emanate and Cummings said the race is a big one for the former.

Tailleur has won six of her nine starts and, while her only unplaced effort was last start in the Group 1 Galaxy, Cummings has earmarked the Toy Show as a chance for her to say she’s a ‘next level’ proposition.

“She’s got a very good first-up record but she needs to prove she is capable of handling the pressure and going to the next level this preparation,’’ he said.

The @BWiddupRacing trained Icebath won a jump out at @hawkesburyrc on Monday over a @godolphin pair very familiar to her in Colette and Cascadian with Prompt Prodigy behind them. @tabcomau @7horseracing pic.twitter.com/PHP6MQCz3V

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) August 9, 2021

“There will be some expectation around her and it’ll be up to her to deliver.”

The five-year-old, $5.50 with TAB, hasn’t had an official trial this preparation but she did venture to Hawkesbury, on the same morning as Cascadian, for a jump out where she ran third behind Adelong and Emanate.

“She’s gone ahead since having a good gallop at Hawkesbury,’’ Cummings said.

“It’s a good race for her, she’s in the middle of the handicap so it will give us an indication of whether she’s still on the upward trajectory.”

Emanate isn’t as well fancied as Tailleur, $23 on Thursday, but Cummings is more than happy to give her the chance to measure up given her record of five wins from 12 starts.

Already a Group 3 placegetter, from the Wenona Girl in the autumn, she had an official trial before her Hawkesbury jump out.

“She’s just out of the handicap but the performances she put together last preparation suggest she’s well and truly knocking on the door for a stakes class win which is hard to do for an older mare,’’ he said.

“But for the late maturer that she was she’s showing me she’s training like a horse that is on the improve.”

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