In a triumphant collaboration, jockey Nash Rawiller and trainer James Cummings secured victory in the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday with the impressive Golden Mile (+700).
This victory was well-deserved for the son of Astern, who had faced two unfortunate performances in the Group 2 Missile Stakes and Group 1 Winx Stakes, hindering his campaign.
Nash Rawiller delivered a perfect rail-hugging ride, taking the inside draw (6) into account to avoid any bad luck on the track. The strategy paid off as Golden Mile showcased his strength in the final stretch.
With this Group-level victory against older horses, Golden Mile's value as a potential stallion prospect in retirement has been further solidified.
2023 Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes – Golden Mile
James Cummings acknowledged this in his post-race assessment and hinted at the possibility of a step down in trip for the colt.
Cummings stated, “It's good to see him not only run a good race again but to get up and win in a time-honored race like the Group Two Theo Marks, it's special for a colt who is already a Caulfield Guineas winner.
“He's well and truly back up in lights as a Caulfield Guineas winner deserves to be.”
Regarding the colt's future plans, Cummings expressed, “I'm actually not adverse to running the horse in the Premiere in three weeks but we'll see how he pulls up.”
“He's a very talented colt, we've kept him in training for a reason, and hopefully we can land another blow.
“He's now a Group Two winner as a four-year-old bull.”
Nash Rawiller reflected on the challenging campaign Golden Mile had endured and expressed his excitement at securing the win, saying, “He obviously hasn't had much go right for him in the first couple of runs, and blinkers on today gave me a lot of confidence.”
“To his credit, when he got a bit tired late, he still kept finding.”