James Cummings giving little away on Cox Plate tactics for Broadsiding following barrier draw

James Cummings says Broadsiding is primed to run the race of his life in the Cox Plate but was staying silent on tactics.

- with Gilbert Gardiner

A cagey James Cummings was reluctant to divulge the tactics he thinks can provide Godolphin with a second Cox Plate win in three years after exciting colt Broadsiding drew eight in the $5m weight-for-age championship at the Valley on Saturday.

Cummings would have preferred his three-year-old to be closer to the rails, but the trainer was left with only the two outside gates to choose from at the barrier draw.

Anamoe won the 2022 Cox Plate for Cummings from barrier four, but finished a luckless and controversial second as a three-year-old from gate eight.

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Asked about the plan he had to offset the awkward draw, Cummings said he would not advertise them so far out from the race, but would seek counsel from leading form analyst Dominic Beirne and jockey Jamie Kah before finalising a game plan.

“I think at the moment we will keep (the plan) close to our chest,” Cummings said.

“I would have loved to have drawn a little closer to the inside.

“We will keep it to ourselves now. We will sit down and have a look at it (how the race maps out) with Dominic Beirne and go through the race with Jamie Kah.

“At least we appreciate there is going to be a solid pace in the Cox Plate this year. It is going to be vastly different to the Cox Plate last year.”

Last year’s Cox Plate runner-up Mr Brightside drew perfectly in barrier two, Via Sistina may have had a wild morning on the track but the mare at least secured a good gate in four, while Japanese raider Prognosis maintained favouritism after being allocated five. Pride of Jenni will jump from barrier seven.

• Waller to make last-minute call on Via Sistina’s Cox Plate fate

Jamie Kah rides Broadsiding (left) at The Valley on Tuesday morning. Picture: Michael Klein

Cummings couldn’t have been happier with the way Broadsiding worked around The Valley at Breakfast with the Best, saying he is primed to run the race of his life.

“Broadsiding has had a really good lead-up since the Caulfield Guineas and I was delighted with the way he galloped around the Valley this morning,” he said.

“It is as good a test as we can give a young horse, but it is a testament to what we think of the colt that he can take his place in a race like the Cox Plate.”

Assistant trainer Yasunari Kiyoyama was happy to come away with barrier five for Prognosis, who is $3.20 favourite with Ladbrokes.

“This is the barrier we wanted after discussion with trainer (Mitsumasa Nakauchida) and Damian Lane the jockey, so were very happy with the barrier draw,“ Kiyoyama said.

“We know there are a bunch of really good top horses from Australia, we’re going to have really good tactics for the day.”

Barrier five has produced eight Cox Plate winners, with Winx in 2017 the most recent.

Prognosis galloped at Werribee on Tuesday morning.

“We were really happy with his gallop,” Kiyoyama said.

“We planned a really light one this morning and he did as we planned, so happy with it.”

• Jenni’s owner defends right to query rival’s tactics

Ben Hayes had the luxury of choosing the same barrier – two – as last year for 2023 Cox Plate runner-up Mr Brightside.

That fuelled his confidence that the tough seven-year-old can turn a heartbreaking near-miss 12 months ago into the biggest day of his training partnership with brothers Will and JD.

“If you get called first (at the barrier draw), it is an advantage,” Hayes said.

“I thought (barrier) two just keeps our options open and it worked out well for us (last year).

“He has been jumping fantastic this prep.

“We were so close last year, it just makes you more hungry.

“I think he is actually going into the Cox Plate better (last year). We have had a very smooth run, we have almost had the perfect prep.

“We didn’t win every race going through, but his last run (second in the Might And Power) was a strong 2000m race. He peaked in the last 100m but wasn’t beaten far.

“We are pretty confident we have him at 100 per cent. We have a nice barrier, we have the in-form jockey, so we are very confident.”

Originally published as James Cummings giving little away on Cox Plate tactics for Broadsiding following barrier draw