Best Of Days a star on Australian racing’s biggest day

Best Of Days has crowned a stellar day for Godolphin and the entire Australian team by winning the G1 Kennedy Mile at Flemington on Saturday, 3 November.

Under a perfectly-judged ride from Craig Williams, Best Of Days weaved a passage through the field, forged to the lead with 100m to run and won by a half-length.

For trainer James Cummings the win, on what is traditionally the biggest day in Australian racing, was the culmination of his greatest day as a trainer, coming after a pair of Stakes wins on the same Flemington card and two more victories at Randwick.

The win was also the seventh at G1-level for Cummings since becoming Godolphin’s head Australian trainer in mid-2017.

While it was Cummings who devised the program that led to Best Of Days success, the entire teams at Godolphin’s Sydney base and it’s Melbourne stable received high praise.

“We’ve got great opportunities because we have great teams,” Cummings said.

“And we also thank Sheikh Mohammed who has the faith to send a horse like this to us.”

Best Of Days began his career in England where he won two races for trainer Hugo Palmer and arrived in Australia as part of a shipment that included Tuesday’s G1 Melbourne Cup prospect Avilius.

Saturday’s win was his third for Cummings and was greatly assisted by the addiction of blinkers to his race day wardrobe.

“I knew he wasn’t quite at his best going into his previous start and I regret not having the blinkers on there, but when they went on today it really counted,” Cummings said.

“He just savaged the line like a horse that is in really good form, he had the desire today. I’m really proud of the horse.”

From barrier one Williams was able to take a trail just off the speed and was camped on the heels of the leaders at the 400m.

When a gap came soon after he gave Best Of Days full rein and the son of Azamour responded brilliantly.

Godolphin’s other Flemington Stakes wins came thanks to Ranier in the G3 Carbine Club Stakes and Osborne Bulls in the G2 TAB Stakes.