Godolphin's Aft Cabin bounced back from a couple of poor showings in recent times to salutes in Saturday's Group 3 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint.
Despite being last out of the gates and being forced to settle at the rear of the field, the progressive three-year-old colt relished the genuine tempo set by a keen Kote.
Aft Cabin entered the home straight with only one horse behind, but the three-year-old colt managed to finish the best under the urgings of James McDonald to run away from Wee Nessy and Lady Laguna behind him.
The step back to 1200m proved to be a masterstroke from trainer James Cummings, with Aft Cabin last seen finishing fourth, beaten two lengths in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) back on March 4.
Aft Cabin now joins the likes of Mazu, Classique Legend, Rebel Dane and Exceed And Excel on the honour roll of the Arrowfield 3YO Sprint.
2023 Group 3 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint Replay – Aft Cabin
James Cummings heaped the praised on his star three-year-old colt post-race, acknowledging the difficulties in running he had to overcome.
“Is there a more impressive winner from the perspective of how many things can go wrong for a horse to still win a race? Slow away, he's got horses inside and outside him babysitting him.
“He got checked at the 450m and he still had to pull to the outside and claim them and what an amazing performance,” said Cumming.
““I think the horse is a sprinter-miler.
“I just feel he's a good fresh horse and the program is the program and so I was quite stuck to racing the horse two weeks between runs and I'm not so sure it suited the horse all that well,” Cummings said when asked about the preferred trip for Aft Cabin.
The win handed James McDonald his second win on Day 2 of The Championships and was just impressed as Aft Cabin's trainer.
“He's excellent, he's a very fast horse. Obviously when you're three (years old) you have to try your luck over those classic sort of distances,” said the leading NSW hoop.
“I think if he drew a gate in the Randwick Guineas (4th over 1600m) he would've fought it out that's for sure.
“He's an unfinished product that's for sure. He's got so much to give.
“I know they've (Godolphin) got a very good sprinter in In Secret but give this horse six months, he's going to be a beauty.”