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By Ray Hickson

They often say the best barrier is one and it gets progressively worse from there – so trainer James Cummings says he sees it as a plus for Tom Kitten’s chances in Saturday’s Group 1 $4m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick.

Trainer James Cummings (Pic: Bradley Photos).

While a wide barrier in his major lead up meant he faced an impossible task, Cummings says some of the gelding’s best performances in big races have come when he’s drawn soft so he wants to take advantage.

“Tom Kitten’s record from inside barriers is very, very, good,” Cummings said.

“Nothing looked better when he was in full flight in the Spring Champion Stakes defeating Cap Ferrat, who went on to win a Hong Kong Derby.

“From barrier two in the Golden Eagle he beat all the Australian horses, the only horses to beat him home were the international horses with the Northern Hemisphere weight allowances.

“I do recognise he was luckless in the Futurity, but that was Caulfield and it was different to a Doncaster which should be run genuinely under handicap conditions.

“In a big field, horses might get held up briefly but most of the time they get into the clear and get a chance.

“I can picture Tom Kitten getting that chance and Ben Melham being quite pleased that he got the draw, given he’s now got options to stick to the rail or come left through them.”

The last horse to win a Doncaster from barrier one was Happy Clapper in 2018 but barriers two, three, and four have been successful in three of the past four years.

Cummings said Tom Kitten, $7 with TAB on Thursday, couldn’t have done a lot more than his fifth behind Gringotts in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) two weeks ago.

Melham had to take him back to last from barrier 11 and he reeled off the race’s second fastest last 600m of 33.03 (Punter’s Intelligence) and second fastest last 200m of 11.13, both behind Fangirl.

That tells Cummings he’s a good chance of handing him a second Doncaster following Cascadian’s 2021 victory.

“I believe the horse’s effort in the George Ryder was excellent to finish as close as he did off the wide run, following a horse as sharp as Fangirl was brave,” he said.

“Looking forward, the run as a lead-up to the Doncaster was quite good from the perspective that he got something out of it.

“In my mind we have him absolutely perfect to be rock-hard fit and peaking for the 1600m at Randwick in much the same vein, maybe even better, than we had him going into the Epsom late last year.

“Tom Kitten is airborne this preparation, I don’t think we could have him better for the Doncaster.”

It’s not all about Tom Kitten, though, for Cummings as Pericles, who ran second in the race to Celestial Legend last year, provides what the trainer feels is a handy back up.

However, he’s also realistic suggesting for Pericles to win the race everything has to go right as he’s probably just a notch below this high quality Doncaster.

The five-year-old, who won the Five Diamonds in the spring, drops 4kg on his second-up fourth in the Ajax Stakes (1500m) three weeks ago.

“He’s here with 55kg, he’s a genuine top-eight chance and he’s had the preparation to be at his best third-up,’’ Cummings said.

“My perspective has not really changed with Pericles, he needs the right sort of G1 to be winning one. This is a Doncaster full of depth and not looking like a huge winning opportunity for Pericles.

“But it’s a race he can run well in again and a stepping stone to something else. You can rely on Pericles to be running well.

Tim Kitten runs fifth in the George Ryder

“He ran so well in the race last year (second) and when horses run well, they tend to run well again the next year.”

James Cummings on Traffic Warden (race 7): “In many ways he deserves his opportunity against the best sprinters around to prove himself. I do feel like he’s training like a horse who is ready to run a race. His challenge is this preparation is not ideal, but we see a horse who is capable of running well in a T.J. Smith. In two weeks, he could really jump out of the ground in the All-Aged Stakes.”

On Zeitung (race 10): “That filly is going beautifully and I feel like the gap between runs is in her favour. The wide draw can work out by that stage of the day. She’s not the best filly in the race, but she’s going to be determined. I like the way she finished off first-up in the Fireball. She was flying before her first-up run-in the Fireball and nothing has changed in the month since. She’s nice and fresh for the P.J. Bell and that rung below is a good target for a filly like her.”

All the fields, form and replays for Day 1 of The Star Championships at Randwick