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Another win in Australia for Godolphin visitors

Mike Hedge

The brilliant form of Godolphin’s touring team continued when Francis Of Assisi added another Australian trophy to the list in the G3 Bendigo Cup on Wednesday, October 26.

A week after the Charlie Appleby-trained Qewy won the G3 Gelong Cup, Francis Of Assisi produced a dominant on-pace performance to claim victory at Bendigo by three lengths.

Assistant trainer James Ferguson, who has supervised the training of Appleby’s five-runner team in Australia, said Francis Of Assisi was now likely to be aimed at another Melbourne Spring target.

Appleby and the Godolphin team adopted a new approach to their Australian campaign, targeting mainly second-tier country races – and the tactic has been an outstanding success.

As well as the wins of Qewy and Francis Of Assisi, the Appleby-trained Oceanographer was third in the Geelong Cup.

The star of the team, Scottish, was aimed at better races and duly ran the race of his life to finish second in the G1 Caulfield Cup.

The wisdom of the plan was emphasised in the case of Francis Of Assisi who collected more for his Bendigo Cup win than he had in his entire 16-start career in the UK.

“It makes so much sense to come here,” Ferguson said.

Winning rider Kerrin McEvoy agreed: “They should bring 20 horses next year and come in July.”

Francis Of Assisi jumped away in midfield and settled down in second place after 400 metres.

McEvoy then allowed the gelding to roll along outside the leader until 600 metres from the finish where he called for an effort and Francis Of Assisi responded with a turn of foot that put the result beyond doubt a long way from home.

“He’s a very genuine galloper but I was surprised at what he showed me when I put the foot down.

“And I was even more surprised how far in front I was at the furlong.”

Francis Of Assisi will now be considered for a start in the G3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Flemington on November 5, a race which provided Godolphin with its first Australian victory when Hatha Anna won it in 2001.