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By Ray Hickson

Race fitness and a weight advantage have trainer James Cummings quietly confident Tarpaulin can get the jump on the opposition in Saturday’s Listed $200,000 Sydney Markets Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill.

Trainer James Cummings (Pic: Bradley Photos)

While Cummings conceded the Vain Stakes in Melbourne looked an easier option he said on RSN that there are some “big ticket items” coming up in the spring that the colt could earn his way to if he continues to climb the ladder.

Tarpaulin, $3.60 with TAB on Thursday, won successive races in July by big margins on wet tracks but with the step to Listed grade, and thanks to the presence of Golden Gift winner Shangri La Express, he’ll drop 3kg on his last win.

“The 1.5kg off Gatsby’s is attractive and the 5kg off Shangri La Express even more so,’’ Cummings said.

“There’s good depth in the race and Tarpaulin couldn’t be more impressive coming through these races lately. Tarpaulin is nicely suited by the relative advantage in the handicap.

“He’s improving and he’s got to keep solidifying at this level before he’s got to tackle these horses at set weights.”

The colt has revelled in the heavy ground in his two wins and Cummings said the edge off the track can only be a plus.

Zac Lloyd, who rode Tarpaulin to his first win, is back on board and the Godolphin trainer can see him getting every opportunity to measure up.

“He’ll be poised in behind the front runners and will be ready to let loose, a soft track is of no concern to him,’’ he said.

“It’s nice to keep him at home and not travel him too much and therefore keep our options open for whatever might be in store for the spring.

“There are some big ticket items coming up that he’ll give himself the opportunity to graduate into.”

It’s clear Tarpaulin isn’t anywhere near top seed for a race like the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) next month, he’s $26 with TAB behind dual Group 1 winning stablemate Broadsiding, but Cummings clearly feels the potential is there to snare a good race.

Last season’s Spring Champion Stakes winner Tom Kitten has his first start as a gelding in the Precise Air Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill and Cummings is keeping an open mind as to his spring target.

It could well be that an Epsom Handicap firms as a goal if the four-year-old fires.

He opened his previous spring preparation with a win in the Up And Coming Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill but went unplaced through five starts in the autumn, though rarely beaten far, culminating in a fourth in the Australian Derby.

“His work at the public trials have been every bit as goods as his gallops at home at Osborne Park,’’ Cummings said.

“It’s a good draw for him fresh up, he doesn’t have to do any work early. He’ll still be a number of lengths off the lead but the way he’s been letting down in his work you’ve got to expect a good run from Tom Kitten.

“We’re hopeful he’s got to what it takes to keep measuring up to get back into the proper races in the spring.”

Tarpaulin wins at Randwick on July 27

James Cummings on Lost (race 4): “I love the fact there’s plenty of speed on in this race so she can lay back and finish off the way she’s capable of doing. This is a slight step up form the five furlongs she was so impressive over freshened up. The pressure will be on her to reproduce it second-up, but she’s won second-up in the past and I’ve liked what I’ve seen from her in the gallops between runs.”

On Nanshe and Sequestered (race 5): "I think Nanshe gets a gun run and there’s not a lot of pace in the race and given she’s likely to settle in front of Sequestered that gives her some edge. Nash Rawiller gets back on Sequestered, he’s one out of one on the mare, and she looked good winning a race at Rosehill fresh up last preparation. Up to seven furlongs, if she relaxes on what looks like a slow race on paper, and she can still use her turn of foot to get back into the contest, she could be a real threat to the front runners.”

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