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| Staff Writer |
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Cylinder, the powerful colt from Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin stable, is heavily favored to secure a third consecutive win for trainer James Cummings in The Run To The Rose.
Godolphin and its predecessors have an impressive track record in this race, having triumphed five times since acquiring the Ingham family's Crown Lodge. The Inghams themselves had previously captured the title five times before parting with their breeding and racing stock.
Cylinder Aims To Gallop Towards Glory: Godolphin's Winning Streak Continues
In fact, horses trained by Godolphin/Crown Lodge have emerged victorious in half of the 20 editions of The Run To The Rose, a remarkable achievement. Despite a narrow victory in the Vain Stakes at Caulfield in his first race of the season, Cummings remains confident that Cylinder can join the illustrious list of winners in this prestigious event.
“He got away with that first-up, narrow victory when the first four horses really flew over the last 400 metres,” Cummings said.
“He’s improved nicely from that effort.
“This is perfect, up to six furlongs three weeks later.”
Butch Cassidy, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, will be one of the contenders aiming to outperform the favorite in the upcoming race. This Written Tycoon colt secured his place in the race with a commendable third-place finish in his first race back, competing against his current rivals Libertad and Moravia in the San Domenico Stakes.
Adrian Bott is pleased with Butch Cassidy's draw in the midfield position, as he believes the horse will benefit from the opportunity to stretch his legs and compete over a longer distance.
“He has drawn really well to put himself in the race and 1200 should suit him,” Bott said.
“It was a high-pressure race last start, there’s probably not as much pressure in this race, so he can be a bit closer in the run and he’s done well.”