Blue pride: James Cummings on Godolphin’s season of success

Like a proud father, former Godolphin trainer James Cummings has watched the spring unfold with pride rather than envy.

The blue army has excelled as it steps out with its new model of placing horses with trainers around the country.

They scored Group 1 victories with Beiwacht in the Golden Rose and Attica in the Spring Champion Stakes, add Tempted’s game second in The Everest and it has been a sensational spring.

Cummings has watched and smiled.

“When you spend time to make a decision, you don’t look back,” Cummings said from Del Mar where he is taking in the Breeders’ Cup.

“We knew there were a lot of talented horses there, and it is a credit to the team we had at Godolphin that did a lot of work to get them prepared to succeed.”

Godolphin’s three-year-olds show no signs of slowing down with Observer favourite for the Victoria Derby and Options, a more than handy back-up while Beiwacht looks to add the Coolmore Stud Stakes to his stallion resume at Flemington.

Premier trainer Waller noted the Godolphin team after the Golden Rose with Beiwacht after the track record win in the Golden Rose.

“Godolphin has been an amazing story for Australia and they’ve been my biggest competitor for so many years consistently in these big races, the stallion making races,” Waller said.

“We’ve learned a lot from them, the little systems they have and they may think we’re OK too.”

Cummings was proud to see Beiwacht get his first Group 1 and sees the influence Waller has on the colt.

“We earmarked him early as our best Bivouac colt, and like his dad everything came a bit quick for him as a two-year-old,” Cummings said. “How Chris has got him to relax more and become that Group 1 winner has been outstanding.”

Ciaron Maher got a lot of the Godolphin horses but Observer came as a five-length Sandown winner as a two-year-old with Derby aspirations.

He delivers him to the blue ribbon event as an unlucky Caulfield Guineas placegetter and the Vase winner.

“He arrived as a ready-made horse with a good base,” Maher said. “Godolphin’s attention to detail is amazing. He was lightly-raced with good upside.”

“He is right where he needs to be heading to the Derby. He probably gets a lot closer in the Guineas with a clear and everyone saw how good he is the other day and he has improved from that.”

Cummings is aware of what Observer can do for his stallion Ghaiyyath, which is part of the breeding operation at Godolphin.

“He was a champion racehorse, and what Ghaiyyath has done in his first two crops is incredible, and to have a horse like Observer is very important to him,” Cummings said.

Tony McEvoy got Options as an unraced Impending colt in August and gets him to the Derby as a winner of three of his five starts.

“The structures in place at Godolphin are second to none, and every horse gets a great start to life,” McEvoy said.

“He arrived and was entered for a race and then won at Echuca and has been able to stand up all spring. That shows you how well he was looked after.”

“He is just a beautiful colt that is built to stay.”