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<\/p>\nCummings, the grandson of Melbourne Cup legend Bart, has accepted a lucrative training position in racing mecca Hong Kong from next year.<\/p>\n
Of Godolphin\u2019s headline horses, the group 1-winning Tom Kitten has been placed with Anthony and Sam Freedman, Melbourne Cup fourth-place getter Zardozi has joined Maher, Golden Mile went to Pride, while Waller also picked up Commemorative and Beiwacht.<\/p>\n
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Godolphin trainer James Cummings with retired star Anamoe.Credit: Louise Kennerley<\/p>\n
Several of the Godolphin horses have already trialled for their new stables.<\/p>\n
As part of its shift in approach, Godolphin sold 25 ready-to-race horses for almost $2.2 million on Inglis Digital a fortnight ago, including South Australian Derby place-getter Lavalier for $380,000 and group 3-winner Pisces for $330,000.<\/p>\n
While the father-son Freedman combination has prepared a number of young horses for Godolphin in the past, including 2022 Blue Diamond winner Daumier, Sam Freedman sees the racing giant\u2019s change in strategy as a winning move.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an exciting change for the whole Godolphin brand, and exciting for Australian racing to see their stock spread out,\u201d Freedman said.<\/p>\n
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Sam Freedman with the 2023 Melbourne Cup winner Without A Fight.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cI have no doubt it will be a success. There\u2019s obviously a lot to work through and there will be little hiccups on the way, I\u2019m sure, but on the whole it feels like a really positive change.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think, ultimately, the one-trainer model is becoming more and more rare.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Freedman said they did not lobby for any horses, they felt privileged to be handed ready-made group 1 star Tom Kitten.<\/p>\n
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\u201cHe\u2019d be the highest-rated horse we\u2019ve got,\u201d the 2023 Melbourne Cup-winning trainer said. \u201cAs an established weight-for-age horse, he\u2019s right at the top.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very rare that you get a horse like that in the stable that\u2019s able to compete from 1400m to 2000m at weight-for-age against the best horses in the country. It\u2019s exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Freedman said the four-year-old gelding would likely resume in the group 1 1400m Memsie Stakes At Caulfield on August 30 before heading to the group 1 1600m Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington a fortnight later.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he\u2019s really flying along, and it looks like a realistic target, that could mean he\u2019ll line up in the Cox Plate,\u201d Freedman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut his first two runs are sort of pencilled in, and then we are just going to assess him after that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Godolphin Australia managing director Andy Makiv and racing and bloodstock manager Jason Walsh oversaw the mass relocation of their horses.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt certainly wasn\u2019t an easy decision, and it doesn\u2019t preclude opportunities for others (trainers) in the future,\u201d Makiv said.<\/p>\n
Godolphin\u2019s breeding arm Darley will continue to stand stallions, including those that raced during Cumming\u2019s tenure such as Anamoe, Bivouac, Broadsiding and Cylinder.<\/p>\n
But their number of runners has fallen away significantly in recent years. After a high of 1276 starters in the 2018\/19 season, those figures have dropped to 804 in 2023\/24 and 680 last season.<\/p>\n
But Makiv denied this will be an ongoing trend.<\/p>\n
\u201cMoving away from a private training model gives us greater business agility,\u201d he said at the end of April.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will continue to have the same number of horses in training \u2014 it\u2019s fundamental to what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n