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By Ray Hickson

A wide barrier in a strong sprint field not the set up James Cummings would have preferred for Paulele in Saturday’s $700,000 Furphy Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill but he’s banking on the three-year-old’s class to snare a valuable Group 1 win.

Trainer James Cummings (Pic: Steve Hart).

It’s going to take a bit of luck and a gun steer by Rachel King for Paulele to win the race from the outside in a 14 horse field but Cummings says though the draw makes it a tough ask he does have some things in his favour.

We haven’t seen Paulele since his first-up win in the Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Randwick six weeks ago where he was able to lead all the way.

“The prospect of getting a good run is slim from the draw,’’ Cummings said on SEN.

“He finds himself with a different set up here, the widest of 14 runners is a shame from that chute but the horse is feeling very good.

“He’s capable of overcoming it with only 53kg, getting a weight advantage on Overpass and In The Congo is ideal here, because his fresh form is very good form and I think he’s going to look dangerous at some point in this race.”

Cummings has made no secret that Godolphin is keen to put a Group 1 win on Paulele’s record which reads six wins from 11 starts.

He’s only been tried once at the top level and finished unplaced in the Coolmore Stud Stakes last spring.

“The horse has built up a great record and the opportunity to win a Group 1 down in the handicaps is a good opportunity to target,’’ he said.

“We’ve kept him very fresh since winning the Eskimo Prince. We think he’s building back up to that level where he was capable of winning first-up.

“He beat Converge into third place that day, there’s been nothing wrong with that form. We’d like to think he has that potential to convert the good form that he’s got on his resume already.”

Russian Revolution is the last three-year-old to win the Galaxy, he started $2.90 and carried 51kg to beat Redzel in 2017. Paulele was a $10 chance with TAB on Thursday.

Godolphin’s glamour colt Anamoe is out for revenge on Converge for their Randwick Guineas clash in the Group 1 $600,000 Sky Racing Active Rosehill Guineas (2000m).

Cummings said he has plenty of respect for Anamoe’s opposition and says it’s his colt’s turn of foot that will be his greatest asset.

“Anyone watching the Randwick Guineas would have felt that he’s going to be beautifully suited up to 2000m,’’ he said.

“Having only just been touched off in a Cox Plate that looks to be the rational approach. Yet he’s still got a brilliant turn of foot and could have been competitive in the Rosehill Guineas or George Ryder that’s for sure.

“It’s a worthy competition, it’ll be a genuinely run race and I think he is the horse that can be the measuring stick for the race. Hopefully, for our sake, his class can prevail.”

Paulele wins at Randwick on February 8

Despite being beaten by Converge at Randwick, Anamoe clocked easily the race’s fastest last 600m of 35.97 (Punter’s Intelligence) in the heavy ground which was two lengths faster than the winner.

Anamoe was $2 favourite with TAB on Thursday and jockey James McDonald said he couldn’t be disappointed with the effort given where he found himself in the run.

“A horse can’t go any better than he did that day, obviously it was disappointing he was beaten but if you reverse the runs you reverse the result,’’ McDonald said.

“He’s done extremely well to get where he did and 2000m will only assist him. He felt enormous, he’s really going well, he’s a horse that doesn’t have many crosses against his name.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Golden Slipper Day at Rosehill