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Having undergone gelding surgery before his current campaign, Tom Kitten is being aimed at Saturday's Gr.1 Golden Eagle at Rosehill, with James Cummings expressing confidence in his charge's recent form credentials.
The prestigious 1500m contest has drawn significant international interest, headlined by Japanese Group One winning filly Ascoli Piceno and the undefeated French raider Lazzat. The visitors are bidding to follow the hoofprints of last year's winner Obamburumai, who gave Japan their first success in this valuable contest.
Tom Kitten's most recent outing saw him finish fourth behind Ceolwulf in the Gr.1 King Charles III Stakes, where he made significant late headway from the rear of the field. The pace that day was set by Pride Of Jenni, with Tom Kitten ultimately crossing the line 3.8 lengths behind the winner.
Previous winners of this race, introduced in 2019, include Kolding, who went on to land the All-Star Mile, while I'm Thunderstruck claimed the 2021 running before securing the Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes.
Speaking about his contender's chances, Cummings said: "He went well. He went beautifully. He's really flying, Tom Kitten, so the Golden Eagle is going to be a huge race. But I'd like to think that
Tom Kitten is going to have very interesting form taking into the Golden Eagle through Pride of Jenni and also Ceolwulf."
The local trainer remains optimistic despite the quality of the international challenge. "Oh, look, very, very good horses. Huge respect for them, and yet, it's a bit for them. The challenge for them is to settle in and come and race us in our backyard, 1,500 (metres) around a flat track," Cummings observed.
Drawing barrier two has enhanced Tom Kitten's prospects, with Ben Melham taking the ride. Meanwhile, Ascoli Piceno must overcome the wide draw in stall 17 under Tommy Berry, while Lazzat breaks from gate 12 with Antonio Orani having his first Australian riding experience.
Cummings added: "Tom Kitten has gone beautifully at Rosehill. He's won there this prep. He's an Up And Coming winner there and he's run plenty of good races. I think he's going to find himself in a really good challenge there. But we couldn't have him in any better form for the target race this prep."
The race, restricted to four-year-olds, has quickly established itself as one of Australia's most valuable contests, with the winner's share of US$10 million making it an attractive target for connections worldwide.