Aleppo Pine returns to Caulfield for the Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes (1100m), where an inside draw and a shift to the Melbourne way of going are expected to suit him.
Trainer James Cummings and the Godolphin team opted for the Caulfield race over the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) at Randwick. “He needed the softer draw,” Cummings said. “This is a strong race, but the softer draw might help him act better on his Melbourne leg.”
Aleppo Pine made a strong debut with a win at Ballarat in December and was initially set for the Blue Diamond Series, but faded to fifth in the Blue Diamond Prelude in February. A subsequent luckless seventh in the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) led to a return to Sydney.
After a soft trial at Hawkesbury, Cummings is hopeful for a strong performance in the Redoute’s Choice. “He’s a quick colt, and from the soft draw, I’d like to see him show the foot he showed first-up last year,” he said.
Jye McNeil, who rode Aleppo Pine to victory on debut, will be aboard on Saturday.