Tough decision to geld Group 1 winner Tom Kitten pays instant dividend with a first-up win at Rosehill

Trainer James Cummings is excited at what lays ahead for Group 1 winner Tom Kitten after his brilliant first-up win as a gelding at Rosehill.

Tom Kitten scores an emphatic first-up win at Rosehill. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Tom Kitten announced himself as a genuine spring carnival contender with his emphatic comeback win at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

The Godolphin four-year-old has returned a gelding this season and he demonstrated a renewed enthusiasm for racing when he raced away with the Precise Air Spring Preview Handicap (1400m).

Maestro trainer James Cummings said after Tom Kitten was unplaced in five starts last autumn the Godolphin brains trust made the decision to have the horse gelded in the off-season.

“I don’t know how we’re going to forgive ourselves for doing that (gelding him) to a horse so promising,’’ Cummings said.

“It was tough decision but I think it hurt management more than it hurt ‘Tom’.’’

Champion jockey James McDonald rode the fourth of his five winners on the Rosehill program when Tom Kitten ($2.60 favourite) sprinted brilliantly fresh to win by two lengths from Amor Victorious ($3.20) with Lavish Empire ($12) a close third.

“He’s had a great preparation to be ready for this fresh up today,” Cummings said. “It’s got the team excited about what lays ahead and hopefully by the end of this campaign he’s back in the game.’’

Cummings said he prefers to take a handicap path with Tom Kitten for now rather than test him at weight-for-age level.

“He is down in the ratings, he was only rated 98 today so that gives us an opportunity to be mixing in the handicaps before he has to tackle the weight-for-age and set weights races,’’ Cummings said.

“We won’t make any decision this afternoon but I do like the idea of marking the Bill Ritchie for him. It’s another handicap and we can go from there.’’

The kitten roars! 🐱

Spring Champion Stakes winner Tom Kitten is back in the winner's circle at Rosehill, as spring beckons!@mcacajamez@[e-mail]/WUWN1xzazO

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 17, 2024

There are many examples of how a gelding procedure can improve a racehorse, including the legendary champion Kingston Town.

At his two-year-old debut at a Canterbury midweek meeting back in 1979, Kingston Town ran a long last, beaten more than 100m and was immediately spelled then gelded.

Kingston Town returned a complete racehorse, winning 30 of his next 40 starts from 1200m to 3200m including 14 wins at Group 1 level and became the nation’s first million dollar stakes winner.

It is doubtful Tom Kitten will have a racetrack career that mirrors “The King” - although both broke through at Group 1 level in the Spring Champion Stakes – but Cummings believes the Godolphin four-year-old gets a chance to realise his potential on the racetrack.

“Tom Kitten’s going to have the ability now to keep getting right back to the top. I don’t think it will be next start, we can take a little bit of time to get there,’’ Cummings said.

“I’ll nominate him for the Epsom Handicap and the Golden Eagle is also in the mix. It would be good for (sire) Harry Angel’s progeny earnings if he was mixing it in the Golden Eagle, wouldn’t it!”

Originally published as Tough decision to geld Group 1 winner Tom Kitten pays instant dividend with a first-up win at Rosehill