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By Ray Hickson

Godolphin trainer James Cummings is warming to next month’s TAB Epsom as the ideal spring race for flashy galloper Cascadian but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a force in Saturday’s Group 1 $1m Fujitsu General George Main Stakes (1600m).

Godolphin trainer James Cummings (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The first Group 1 of the Everest Carnival has been dominated by Chris Waller winning six of the last seven editions with Godolphin’s Avilius in 2019 the only outlier.

Cascadian, the Doncaster Mile winner in the autumn, has shown Cummings he’s on target for the Epsom in his two starts back finishing just behind the placings in both the Group 1 Winx Stakes and Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes.

“In the short term, the Epsom is very much his focus,” he said.

“I can only imagine him running a good race in the George Main if he is going to be competitive in the Epsom.

“He is perfectly positioned third-up at a mile and we have seen the horse run brilliantly at weight-for-age. The horse’s run in the All Aged Stakes (third) was a beauty.”

Cascadian has 56kg in the $1.5m TAB Epsom run on October 2, a rise of only 3kg on what he carried to win the Doncaster.

The Waller-trained Verry Elleegant is looming large over the George Main and, with Cascadian a $9 chance in the George Main, Cummings said the superstar mare is worthy of her standing in the race.

“She is going to certainly be the testing material from a cushy barrier with the rail out,’’ he said.

“There’s going to be a bit for Cascadian to do at the top of the straight.

“There are some up-and-coming horses like Riodini, who will put himself right there, and Think It Over, there's your George Ryder winner running very well beating us in the Chelmsford.

“It’s a good race again and I feel like he’s going well enough to be running a good race.

“He might just be a little better suited when he drops to the handicaps, the way those races are run.”

Avilius is also a previous winner of the Group 3 $160,000 TAB Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) for Godolphin who sends Best Of Days around in 2021.

The eight-year-old has raced twice this spring in Melbourne and has been beaten less than two lengths in both starts, the latest 1.6 lengths by Superstorm in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m).

His last attempt at 2000m realised a Group 1 second in the Australian Cup back in March and Cummings said there’s scope for improvement with a couple of runs under the belt.

“We thought his first two runs back this preparation have been okay,’’ he said.

“He’s the style of horse that likes to race his way into a bit of fitness. That’s the progress we are seeing from Best Of Days at the moment.

“He certainly has the right draw (barrier four) and can put himself in a lovely position from there.”

Cascadian runs fourth in the Chelmsford at Randwick on September 4

Meanwhile Cummings has dual representation in what he’d rate as the strongest Benchmark 88 in quite a while when Valaquenta and Gravina step out in the Heineken Handicap (1100m).

Both four-year-olds are last start Randwick winners and were popular in betting in their respective races but are $10 chances with TAB on Thursday, such is the strength of the race.

Cummings said despite the depth both are set up to run well.

“Valaquenta was a nice winner last start and is going to go around double figure odds to give you an indication of how hard this race is,’’ he said.

“We loved the way he savaged the line in that handicap back in July. We’ve kept him fresh, we haven’t done too much with him, therefore he probably still has a little bit more improvement in him.

“Gravina trialled quite nicely and is coming into this off two impressive Saturday wins in the winter. He might just be the sleeper in this race.”

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