Anthony Cummings has no regrets about selling Montaigne, the horse now known as Beauty Generation and an international star.
Cummings and his owners sold the 2016 Rosehill Guineas runner-up after his next start when he finished fourth in the BMW.
“He showed Group One potential when he was here and it was a lot of money to be offered for a gelding,” Cummings said.
“And if he had stayed here he would be running around coming second to Winx.”
Beauty Generation defended his title in Sunday’s Group One International Mile at Sha Tin in dominant fashion.
Now Cummings is switching his attention closer to home and his new stable star Sky Boy who runs in Saturday’s Group Two Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
Sky Boy has won his past four starts over distances ranging from 1500 to 2000 metres.
He comes back from 1800 metres at Rosehill on November 24 and is the TAB’s favourite among the 22 nominations.
“The three weeks between runs suits and he will be sharp enough for the 1600 metres,” Cummings said.
“The plan is to win the Villiers which gets him into the Doncaster Mile.”
The gelding is by Pendragon out of Zazabelle who Cummings’ late father Bart trained to run third in the 1999 Melbourne Cup won by stablemate Rogan Josh.
Like Zazabelle, Sky Boy sports Dato Tan Chin Nam’s famous black and white checked colours with yellow sleeves.
A four-time Melbourne Cup winning owner with Bart Cummings, Dato Tan Chin Nam died in October but his Australian racing interests continue under his Think Big Stud banner managed by Duncan Ramage.
Sky Boy will carry 53kg with Christian Reith, who has been aboard for his past three starts, to ride.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Fabrizio is the topweight with 59kg ahead of Life Less Ordinary and Red Excitement on 58.5kg.
The Chris Waller-trained Life Less Ordinary is coming off a last-start third in the Ballarat Cup (2200m) while veteran Red Excitement from the Gerald Ryan stable is coming back in distance from his third in the ATC Cup (2000m).
The Waller-trained My Nordic Hero is at $7 behind Sky Boy ($4.50) with all other runners in double figures.
Cups Betting has all the latest horse racing news and betting bonuses.