James Cummings admits the belated running of the Golden Slipper is not ideal for Todman Stakes winner Anamoe, who already faces a tough task from the outside draw.
The Godolphin youngster is a +1600 chance for the $3.5 million showcase, which has been pushed back to this Saturday after last weekend’s wash-out.
Cummings said he would have preferred the classy colt was heading into the Slipper with just two weeks between runs as originally planned.
“I don’t think three weeks is perfect for him but the only fallback we have is that, on account of his athleticism, he hasn’t had to do too much more,” Cummings said.
“He will still be there and arriving fit, it just won’t be exactly ideal as it would have been if the race was two weeks after that Todman win.”
Anamoe stormed to the line for third from a wide draw in the Blue Diamond Stakes before confirming his Golden Slipper credentials by claiming the scalp of favourite Profiteer in the Todman.
But from the outside barrier in Saturday’s 15-horse field, Cummings says Anamoe faces an enormous challenge.
“It will leave him with a lot to do and he will need to be an absolutely outstanding colt to overcome it and win a Slipper,” he said.
Stablemate Ingratiating will have blinkers back on for the juvenile feature after getting a long way back without them when fifth in the Pago Pago Stakes.
At +1300, he is the more fancied of Godolphin’s two runners and Cummings believes he profiles well if jockey Damien Oliver has some luck from barrier 11.
“He’s got all the trademarks of a fast, Golden Slipper-style two-year-old,” Cummings said.
“He’s well experienced for this race and he’s physically just coming into this race beautifully and in the best possible condition we can have him in.”