Godolphin three-year-old Broadsiding ($2.70) has made a triumphant return from a 105-day spell, storming to victory in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday afternoon.
The son of Too Darn Hot couldn’t have been more impressive surging to victory in the $400,000 feature, with Zac Lloyd producing a stellar ride to find the one-one from barrier six.
The James Cummings-trained colt had already stamped himself as a first-up performer in the past, claiming the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) at this course and distance to kick-off last preparation before going off the boil against the older horses in the spring.
He appears back to his brilliant best, however, sitting off the likes of Mayfair ($14.00) and Public Attention ($4.20) before exploding down the centre of the course with a superior turn-of-foot.
Swiftfalcon ($11.00) and Aeliana ($9.50) appear on song for a big autumn preparation after hammering the line from the rear of the field, but it was all about the winner as Broadsiding added a sixth win to the resume at start 12.
James Cummings was on track to speak post-race and is excited by the potential of his lightly raced three-year-old.
“We’re pretty excited about having him back and we’ve been confident all over the summer that he’d come back in good shape,” said Cummings.
“We thought it would be a matter of good luck for them beating him in a race like this, Set Weights, 1400m at Rosehill.
“But I’d love to see him derive good benefit from this and build up nicely for the Randwick Guineas in a fortnight. Dominic Beirne was all over it. He thought with a horse fresh up that he could be there. The map looked good from Wednesday night. I think it’s worked out well.
“Zac Lloyd has just delivered, the pressure goes on him when James McDonald is in Saudi Arabia to ride the good Horse Romantic Warrior. Zac has done a great job here on Broadsiding just like he did on Traffic Warden last year.
“Back against the three-year-olds is going to suit him nicely after doing battle against those weight-for-age horses, his last couple.
“And look, that has been our focus for a while. But it’s a matter of continuing to convert that and keep him up there because it’s not an easy thing to do as these others emerge and get better over the break.”
Zac Lloyd chalked up his fourth win of the afternoon at Rosehill and couldn’t have been more impressed with the first-up performance of Broadsiding.
“He’s very special, obviously, he’s a very valuable colt to the team and yeah, he’s getting better with age,” said Lloyd.
“Never in doubt, never in doubt. Once he’d begun like that, I had to give him a bit of a squeeze to just get in front of the runners underneath me, and once I got there, he just fell right back asleep.
“Obviously, Mayfair was making it a genuine 1400m for him first up, but perfectly prepared and yeah, he’s just a very, very good colt.
“At the 500m, I just went through my gears, and he didn’t really need it. He knows his job.”
Broadsiding has now firmed into a $2.00 favourite with horse racing bookmakers for the Group 1 Randwick Guineas on March 8.
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