The powerhouse Godolphin stable saddle-up three livewire chances in a quality All Aged Stakes 2021 field this Saturday in Sydney including Savatiano who is second elect in markets led by the Hawkes Racing-trained Masked Crusader.
Savatiano looks a genuine chance to win the 2021 All Aged Stakes at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.
One of the final two elite level races of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival along with Saturday’s Group 1 $500,000 Champagne Stakes (1600m) for two-year-olds, the Group 1 $600,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) features a strong 13-horse line-up this season.
Three are trained by James Cummings who is represented in the weight-for-age clash by last-start Group 1 Doncaster Mile hero at the tack and distance Cascadian, roughie chance Kementari and their in-form stablemate Savatiano.
New Approach six-year-old Cascadian is drawn the rails with the talented Ms Jamie Kah to ride the Doncaster champ from barrier one as the horse goes up from 53kg to 59kg.
“He’s pulled up brilliantly,” Cummings told Racenet this week speaking of Cascadian.
“I think that’s proudly as good as he has ever pulled up from a big race since (in Australia) and is going into the race full of confidence after his Doncaster win.”
It is that rise in weight that has Cascadian at generous All Aged Stakes odds of $9 through Ladbrokes.com.au while Street Cry mare Savatiano, a winner of her past three starts, is the $7 second-elect.
She trails only Masked Crusader who sits top of the All Aged Stakes betting markets at a firm $2.90 through Ladbrokes.com.au despite a wide barrier 12 draw.
Two back the consistent Toronado four-year-old posted a big two and a half-length win in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at The Valley when ridden by the ‘Wizard of the West’, Perth-based hoop William Pike.
Masked Crusader then ran in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Day 1 of ‘The Championships’ and went down in a two-length loss finishing runner-up to Nature Strip in a ride that saw jockey Kerrin McEvoy cop plenty of criticism for.
This weekend the horse goes up in distance to 1400m and McEvoy has been replaced by Tommy Berry who was last aboard Masked Crusader for a third to Savatiano on March 6 in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Royal Randwick.
Berry attempts a second All Aged Stakes win in three years having ridden Pierata to victory in 2019.
A noted first-up performer, Savatiano has been kept fresh since her Canterbury Stakes success and looks a big threat from a favourable barrier six draw with Hugh Bowman to ride in the All Aged Stakes.
“We’ve given her a freshen up since the Canterbury Stakes and she is very well,” Cummings said.
“We have kept her lightly raced deliberately this campaign and she has benefited from it.
“She arrives in this in very good form and has excellent form around Masked Crusader for example after beating him in that Canterbury Stakes and he’s come up favourite in this.”
Cummings is after his maiden All Aged Stakes trophy, while Bowman chases a second win following his 2008 victory aboard the John O’Shea-trained Racing To Win.
As for Godolphin’s $34 chance, Kementari, the six-year-old Lonhro gelding was last seen running a first-up sixth to Masked Crusader in the William Reid Stakes and is best known for his 2018 Randwick Guineas win as a three-year-old.
“He seems to be coming along perfectly,” Cummings said.
“He is stepping back up to the 1400m here and looked perfect there hitting the line nicely in the William Reid.”
The 2021 All Aged Stakes is scheduled to run as Randwick Race 7 at 3:35pm (AEST) on Saturday’s nine-race card.
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