James Cummings has already demonstrated an ability to identify the right horses to direct towards the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes and there is plenty riding on the performance of his runner in Saturday’s $175,000 Listed event.
Blue Illusion will be not only Godolphin’s first two-year-old runner for the season, but its first Australian runner for one of their own shuttle stallions, Blue Point.
The son of Shamardalah has produced outstanding results in Europe from two crops to race, which has led to excitement around what he might produce Down Under.
Cummings gave Blue Illusion a look at the Flemington straight on September 28, with the colt impressively winning an 800m jumpout, which franked the opinion Cummings’ Melbourne foreman Reg Fleming has had of him.
“We’ve liked to target this race in recent years and there was a lot to like about the way he jumped out up the straight,” he said.
“He (Fleming) said he’d be shattered if he didn’t trial well and the horse didn’t disappoint him.
“He’s done nothing but go ahead since.”
Cummings has already won a Maribyrnong Trial Stakes with a son of a first-season sire, thanks to Ingratiating winning the 2020 edition in what was the first season for his sire Frosted.
Cummings also won last year’s Maribyrnong Trial with Zulfiqar, a son of Exceed And Excel, while Sheikh Mohammed won earlier editions via Peter Snowden, who produced Sepoy and Kuroshio to win.
While Blue Illusion will be the first of Blue Point’s progeny to run for Godolphin, the stallion had his first Australian runner at Randwick last Saturday with Scampi finishing unplaced as $3 favourite off a slick trial leading up to the event.
Blue Illusion is not the only Blue Point youngster engaged in the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes with Scampi’s Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained stablemate Centre Square also engaged.
Vinery’s Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Exceedance is another freshman stallion represented, by Dublin Down, while Immortal Joy will be the first runner for I Am Immortal, Swettenham Stud’s son of I Am Invincible.
