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Trainer James Cummings believes he’s found the ideal race for talented mare Parisal to kick off her campaign in style at Hawkesbury on Saturday.
The half-sister to Group 1 winner Cylinder puts her unbeaten 1100m record on the line in the Listed $200,000 Hawkesbury XXXX Gold Rush and is also out to make it a hat-trick of first-up wins.
Parisal , $4.20 with TAB on Friday, hasn't raced since December but showed her readiness with a comfortable trial win at Canterbury two weeks ago.
"We're quite confident with Parisal,'' James Cummings said on SEN.
"She's bound to run a race here and she's come up beautifully. I can see her getting right into the picture here, she's certainly a winning chance.
"It'd be a good way to kick off the campaign."
The four-year-old was a Group 3 winner on a Soft 7 track at the start of her spring campaign and she's raced once on heavy for a second in the Group 3 PJ Bell last year.
Cummings said he'd prefer the Hawkesbury track to be holding up well come race five if the rain does arrive.
"I hope the track isn't too bad for her first-up, not because she won't handle it but because you never know what it might take out of them,'' he said.
"There's no doubt in my mind that Parisal is going to run a good race and she's quite well placed here first-up over 1100m."
Stablemate Spacewalk is in doubt for the Hawkesbury Rush with Cummings in a race against time to get on top of a minor foot issue that emerged earlier in the week.
The consistent gelding won a 1000m dash when resuming last campaign and was a trial winner a month ago.
"He has come up beautifully at the barrier trials, we've taken our time with him, and although he has got top weight he has quite attractive form,'' he said.
"While he's only won the one race from five first-up attempts I think some of his runs have been pretty good fresh up and in hard races."
Meanwhile, Cummings said stable stars Cascadian and In Secret are likely headed for Queensland campaigns with the latter to emerge in a trial next week.
Nine-year-old warhorse Cascadian is on his farewell tour and ran fourth behind Pride Of Jenni in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes last month.
"We decided not to trial him this week, just stand by there,'' he said.
"We're looking forward to what we might be able to do with him up in Brisbane but we've got to be happy with the horse if we're going to head to the Doomben Cup."
In Secret hasn't been seen since finishing third to Imperatriz in the Champions Sprint back in November and while she trialled in February she's missed the bulk of the autumn carnival.
"I'm actually quite pleased with the way she is coming along and she'd still be a big chance of running in the Doomben 10,000 provided we're happy with her next week,'' he said.
James Cummings on Amur (race 9): "We had him gelded after the CS Hayes. That'll potentially be the making of that horse but he's got to get back in the game. I'd like to see him race himself into a bit of form before we get carried away."
On Brigantine (race 9): "He's in his right race and off his first-up run he's more that capable. I would stick with that horse, his best form hasn't materialised for quite a while but I can see the horse running very well. We're giving the opportunity to an apprentice, Braith Nock, he won't have too much pressure on him. I'd love to see Brigantine get up and win this race."
