‘LOADED’ CYLINDER BLAST RESONATES AROUND ROSEHILL IN SYDNEY

By Duane Fonseca

‘Loaded with ability’. That was Godolphin Australia head trainer James Cummings’ assessment of Cylinder following his victory in the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday. The Exceed and Excel juvenile proved way too good for the rest of those opposing him on his third career start in the 1100m turf sprint, a race in which he would leave behind his maiden tag after scoring by half a length.

Brenton Avdulla was up aboard Cylinder for the first time after Blake Shinn and James McDonald both led him to successive runners-up finishes in previous runs at Caulfield and Newcastle respectively in November. And the 84-day break with yet another partner change worked well as Cylinder tracked the pace set by Platinum Jubilee running furiously into the home stretch and to gain ascendancy 50m out. Platinum Jubilee placed second with King’s Gambit a further half length back in third.

TRAINER FULL OF PRAISE

Cummings was all praise and said: “We are cooking with gas with this one. He is just loaded with ability. “He has improved a stack. He’s been galvanised with a couple of very solid runs pre-Christmas, a trip to Newcastle and a trip to Melbourne. “Not everything went right for him in Victoria.

Thankfully, we were able to get him back to Osborne Park on a pretty quick turnaround and nature took its course.” Since the Silver Slipper was switched to the autumn programme, four of its winners have gone on to achieve the Golden Slipper double. And Cummings will be hoping it’s the same for Cylinder too in the Group 1 contest, to be run over the surface but a slightly longer 1200m trip on 18 March.

“First-up at his second preparation, that is a damn good sign from this colt. He has developed, grown a bit and is more mature this time. "I think he has what it takes to keep improving and get to the level required to be competitive in the Slipper in four weeks’ time.”

Winning rider Avdulla added: “My horse showed good speed and I was happy to slipstream off Platinum Jubilee and pick my turn when I wanted to go. “I think he is a good quality colt and he has been excellently prepared.”