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By Ray Hickson

Godolphin’s surge at a Golden Slipper that looked unlikely just a few weeks ago will gather momentum if Comedy can turn the tables on fairytale youngster Shaggy at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer James Cummings (Pic: Bradley Photos).

An upset win in the Silver Slipper last week with Beiwacht put that colt’s name in the Slipper conversation and James Cummings would like to think Comedy is a good chance of repeating the dose in the Group 2 $300,000 Catanach’s Jewellers Skyline Stakes (1200m).

Comedy won on debut at Randwick back in October then had a flashing light on his head when he charged into second behind Shaggy on his return in the Pierro Plate two weeks ago.

Cummings said the 1200m of the Skyline makes it a completely different race.

“The rail is back to the true, up to six furlongs and perhaps there's a tiny bit more pressure on Shaggy this time,” Cummings said.

“You just have to be impressed with the way Shaggy has been in the lead-up, but there a couple of things in Comedy’s favour.

“I just love Comedy stretching out in distance, he’ll eat up the ground.

“I look forward to seeing Comedy on the weekend to see if he’s taken the necessary steps to get into the picture.”

Comedy ran a race best last 600m of 33.19 (Punter’s Intelligence), nearly two lengths faster than anything else in the Pierro Plate, and his last 200m of 11.48 was similarly dominant as he swept home from last.

Cummings has won the Skyline three times with Corniche (2023), Microphone (2019) and Good Standing in 2016. Corniche didn’t contest the Slipper while Microphone finished runner-up before winning the Group 1 Sires Produce.

The Snitzel colt was $6 with TAB on Thursday and $26 in the Slipper, he’s 20th in the order of entry so a win is essential for him to secure a start else he’d have to run in another lead up.

That doesn’t appear something that Cummings would prefer to do.

“Three weeks could be important for that horse to be a runner’s chance in the Golden Slipper,’’ he said.

“He’s been doing everything to me to suggest he’d be competitive most years.”

It’s been a busy past nine months or so since Golden Mile last appeared on the track and the now gelded five-year-old is an interesting runner in the Group 3 $250,000 Liverpool City Cup (1300m).

He was retired to stud as a Group 1 winner after running third in the Victory Stakes behind Antino last May but sustained an injury and only covered a small number of mares before being taken out of service.

Cummings said from his viewpoint Golden Mile is appreciating being back in a racing stable and he showed with his recent trial win that he’s ready to step back into the spotlight.

“The horse has been flying and feeling good,’’ he said.

Comedy runs second at Randwick on February 15

“No one has got a bigger opinion of the way Golden Mile has been going at Osborne Park than Golden Mile.

“I love the way he’s been trialling from one trial to the next.

“We’d be thrilled to see him convert on what he’s been showing us on the track over the past couple of months.”

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