Tom Kitten reigns again in the G1 All-Star Mile

Defending All-Star Mile champion Tom Kitten returned to Flemington in triumph on Saturday, 7 March to claim the third G1 victory of his career and lift his prize-money earnings to more than $7.5 million.

Perfectly handled by Craig Williams, Tom Kitten gave the free-striding Pride Of Jenni and Evaporate a start and a beating in the 1,600m feature event to take his record to eight wins and eight placings from 31 starts.

Second-up this preparation for co-trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman, and after winning the G3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes over 1,400m at Caulfield on 7 February, Tom Kitten has never raced in better form and covered the mile in a fast 1 minute 33.73 seconds under 59kg.

“He’s a remarkable horse, he’s been to the top for a long time,” Sam Freedman told Racing.com 
“We’ve been blessed to get him into the stable in the last eight or nine months.
“We were disappointed with the spring we had with him.

“We felt he was going well, but we were chasing our tail, but this prep, I don’t know what it is. 
“I rang Dad (Anthony) this morning and said he’s a different horse. 
“He looks amazing, he’s holding more condition, he’s racing heavier than he was in the spring.
“For James (Cummings) and his team, that worked with the horse for such a long time, they should all be very proud as well as my team.”

Williams said he was thrilled to be riding Tom Kitten, who ran down his mount Mr Brightside to win his first All-Star Mile 12 months ago.

“I’m really fortunate to say thank you to Sam and Anthony Freeman and all their team,” he said.
“Godolphin, for giving me the opportunity, just being part of this autumn with him and so far we're two from two, but I've just seen him grow up.

“They've obviously spent a lot of time with his barrier manners. We saw it in the spring when he got scratched and he was really unruly. 
“He's just a big, strong individual and he knows it. 

“They've only asked me to gallop him one morning. I think it was the fastest gallop of the morning ever at Mornington. 
“And when I jumped him out in between his last run and this one, I just said, ‘he’s just in that winning zone’.
“He just feels great. He's content and we saw it today under race pressure.”

Tom Kitten became Godolphin Australia’s seventh individual G1 winner of the season, and its ninth G1 victory since former trainer Cummings departed on 1 August.

Freedman said this month’s G1 Australian Cup over 2,000m was a possible target for the five-year-old, but he wouldn’t rule out taking him north to Sydney for another G1 at Royal Randwick.

“I feel he’s best fresh at a mile,” he said.
“We might see him in the Doncaster more likely than the Australian Cup. 
“He might grind away late like he wants the 2,000m, but he likes a strong tempo where he can sit back and stalk them.

“He’s also entered in Dubai and Hong Kong, so there’s plenty of options for him.
“The beauty of him is he’s an easy horse to work with and I’m just rapt for the whole crew.”

Improving Godolphin juvenile Medicinal could also be heading to Sydney after her determined victory in the G3 Ottawa Stakes over at Flemington for co-trainers Ben, Will and J.D. Hayes.

Jockey Jamie Melham held the filly together after sharing the lead to the 300m pole, dashing clear and then holding off Jadzia and Scintillation in 57.80 seconds down the straight 1,000m course.

At Randwick, consistent mare Pinito (James McDonald) charged down the centre of the track at just her second run in eight months to win the G3 Aspiration Quality for fillies and mares over 1,600m.

Now trained by Chris Waller, Pinito boosted her record to three wins and nine placings from 13 starts when she beat Starphistocated by a half-length with Polymnia 1.2 lengths away in third place.

Godolphin Australia racing and bloodstock manager Jason Walsh said Pinito had been a work in progress since winning the Listed Gold Bracelet 1,800m at Gold Coast and finishing an unlucky second in the G1 Queensland Oaks over 2,200m at Eagle Farm last June.
“She takes a bit of careful management, but she’s clearly talented and going really well.”

Pinito, by Trapeze Artist and a rare Godolphin purchase from the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, may contest a G1 at Randwick or Rosehill Gardens next start.

“The Queen Of The Turf is definitely in consideration, but we had talked about missing today and going to the Coolmore (Classic),” Walsh said.
“That’s the esteem we hold her in, in terms of the possibilities.
“But a G3 in Sydney is an important result, so we’ll give thought to what comes next.
“Certainly a mile back here is enticing, she loves it.

“She put the writing on the wall up there (Queensland) that she was a filly of real potential.
“She hasn’t been taxed too much, so hopefully there’s plenty more in store for her.

Waller said he’d liaise with Godolphin management before deciding Pinito’s autumn path.

“When she gets out over a bit further, we should see a bit more improvement,” he said.
“Maybe on to the Epona Star in a couple of weeks, if that suited.
“The 1,900m at Rosehill could be perfect.”