Coruscate breaks through with Listed Caulfield victory

The potential shown by Coruscate from the day he began his racing career was realised when he made a one-horse race of the Listed Testa Rossa Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday, 26 September.

Coruscate, an older brother to the star sprinter Bivouac, opened his account with a two-year-old Maiden win at Canterbury in February 2017 and was second in the Group 2 Skyline Stakes and third in the Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes in Sydney at his next two.

Now a six-year-old he’d won six races prior to Saturday, producing perhaps the best effort of his career to win by 2-1/4 lengths from Runson.

While most of Coruscate’s racing has been in Sydney, Godolphin spokesman Sean Keogh said the stable may have hit on a winning formula by rotating between the Sydney and Melbourne stables.

"He came down to Melbourne last preparation and won at Bendigo and then we took him back to Sydney and he won," Keogh said.

"It is working well. They've brought him down again from Sydney and he's now won a Listed race."

Coruscate’s victory followed the second placing the previous night of Trekking in the Group 1 AJ Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley.

The holder of G1 titles in the Stradbroke Handicap and the Goodwood, Trekking was having his first run since June and showed all his renowned tenacity to give weight and a start to the winner Pippie.

Trekking settled down just worse than midfield and was sent forward from the 400m mark of the 1,000m race when a gap opened up in the wall of horses ahead of him.

The six-year-old gelded son of Street Cry lost a little ground entering the short Moonee Valley straight but was gaining on Pippie with every stride to be the only runner to threaten the winner.

Trekking’s record now stands at 10 wins and nine placing from his 30 starts for racetrack earnings just short of AU$4 million.

Trainer James Cummings and his team will now consider a selection of major targets for Trekking who could stay in Melbourne for the feature spring sprints. He could also be a candidate for a place in the AU$15 million The Everest at Randwick on 17 October.