The Godolphin blue army continues to make giant steps towards the Golden Slipper with Microphone making plenty of noise about his chances with a dominant win in the Group 2 $200,000 Schweppes Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Randwick today.
Microphone, above, heads to the Golden Slipper after winning the Skyline Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
The James Cummings trained Microphone brought his winning Melbourne form to Sydney and is now on track to join several stablemates who are in contention for the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 23.
Microphone is now the winner of three of his four race starts and showed that he had plenty of ability with a trouncing of his opposition down the Flemington straight at his previous start with a victory in the Listed $140,000 Talindert Stakes (1100m) on February 16.
Winning jockey James McDonald gave Microphone ($2.40 favourite) a beautiful ride and had him positioned just behind the leaders and gave the Exceed And Excel colt clear air in the straight to record a one and a quarter lengths win over Cosmic Force ($14) with Castlevecchio ($4.40) running on from the back for third.
McDonald was impressed with the win and said Microphone wouldn’t be out of place in a Golden Slipper.
“He’s a beauty. He’s got a big motor and he’s such a pleasure to ride. He jumps well, puts himself in the race, relaxes, and he’s got a great turn of foot,” McDonald said.
“Onwards to the Slipper. Obviously James has got a very strong hand in the race. The way he is coming on and he acts, he is going to be a force to be reckoned with. There was suspects of him running a strong six furlongs but he has just knocked that on the head.”
Cummings said that there is definitely more improvement to come from Microphone and rates him among the top listed two year olds in the stable.
“He will take a great deal of improvement for the sake of the experience,” Cummings said.
“This horse came here today up from Melbourne not long ago but we’ve barely breathed on him since he arrived. He’s going to tighten up as clean winded as he is. Come Slipper day he’ll be like a young man with a new suit.”
