James Cummings, grandson of the late, great Bart Cummings trained his first Group 1 winner as a trainer in his own right when Prized Icon (Aus) (More Than Ready) landed the G1 Moet & Chandon Champagne S. A last minute nomination earlier in the week saw the last start Listed Fernhill H. winner take his part in the final field for the Randwick Group 1, and with the withdrawal on Friday of the short-priced favourite Yankee Rose (Aus) (All American {Aus}), the race became a wide open affair. Sent off favourite just ahead of Matthew Smith's last start Group 1 third Faraway Town (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}), Prized Icon was settled in second position by jockey Glyn Schofield about six lengths behind tearaway leader El Sicario (NZ) (Bullbars {Aus}). As the pace setter came back to the field Schofield and Prized Icon travelled strongly to the lead and from there on the result was never in doubt, winning by a length at the wire from David Payne's Chimboraa (Aus) (Congrats) in a time of 1.36.85, with the Hawkes Racing-trained Divine Prophet (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}) a further short head away in third. Glyn Schofield has endured his share of controversy of late and it was a welcome return to the top table for the rider who commented,”It's special for the young trainer. He's put in a lot of hard work, it must be a bit tough for him having the surname he's got because he's trying to stand for himself, he's absolutely placed this horse to perfection. Even though he was a late nom, he was toying with keeping him going but he'd had a lot of racing. It shows that he's kept his best run for this time of the year.”
MOET & CHANDON CHAMPAGNE STAKES-G1, A$505,000 (US$390,024/£274,510/€345,629), ATC, 4-16, 2yo, 1600mT, 1:36.85, st.
1–@PRIZED ICON, 56.5, c, 2, by More Than Ready
1st Dam: Tropical Affair (Aus) (SW & GSP-Aus $41,815), by Danehill
2nd Dam : Just as Lovely (Aus), by Bletchingly (Aus)
3rd Dam: Stick to Beauty (Aus), by Dignitas
O-Gooree Stud (E M Cojuangco & M C Cummings); B-Gooree Park Stud Pty Ltd NSW; T-James Cummings; J-G Schofield;
A$305,000. Lifetime Record: 7-2-2-3, A$500,850. *Full to Romantic Moon GSW-Aus $220,950; 1/2 to Matras (Aus) (Zabeel {NZ}) GSW-Aus $149,372. Werk Nick Rating: A+ Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Chimboraa (Aus), 56.5, c, 2, Congrats –Pas de Deux (IRE) , by Sadler's Wells. (A$82,500 Ylg 2015 WI Classic Yearling Sale -Summer) O-Kia Ora, D & M Payne Racing), Hilwhey, A D Paradice, W M Shelton, Mrs S E Shelton, W A Wilkins & S P Loane; B-Kia Ora Stud NSW; T-David Payne; J-J Bowman; A$100,000.
3–Divine Prophet (Aus), 56.5, c, 2, Choisir (Aus)–Prophet Jewel, by Encosta de Lago. O-A Falcone, M Falcone, S Falcone & V Falcone; B-Mr T Falcone NSW; T-M, W & J Hawkes; J-D Dunn; A$50,000.
Margins: 1.0, 1.1, 3.0.
Also Ran: Faraway Town (Aus), Pop (Aus), Obscura (Aus), Jaws of Steel (Aus), Crown Him (Aus), Sicario (NZ), North Sky (Aus). Click for the Racing Post result or the free equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
It turned out to be an inspired decision by James Cummings to back up Prized Icon seven days after this last start at Randwick as he ran like a fresh horse and in doing so claimed an all important juvenile Group 1 success. In all it was his seventh outing of the season and though only his second victory his form has been solid all along. Having his first start in the Listed Breeders' Plate in October last year when third to eventual G1 Golden Slipper winner Capitalist (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}), Prized Icon has yet to finish outside of the top three and looks an exciting prospect for his 3-year-old season. Explaining his decision to run the Gooree Stud homebred the winning trainer said, “I was playing golf on Monday and had a chance to think about it and the race was falling away. The horse was just about on the float on the way to Mudgee on Tuesday morning and I thought about it again, looked at him and said he looks too well, put him on the flat to the beach instead.” Cummings added, “he has had a great week, we have barely done anything with him just plenty of long slow work and he has loved it, he has rewarded us and it's great to get that Group 1 winner for Gooree and another Group 1 winner for More Than Ready, what a stallion.” Cummings was training in partnership with his grandfather Bart up until his death last year and he summed up the victory by saying,”I think [Bart] would say look to the future, self praise is no recommendations so you have said enough.”
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