Teranaba Out to Emulate Hotel Grand
- Friday, 06 September 0909 00:00
The up-and-coming Teranaba, which scored a determined win at his only start at Warwick Farm a fortnight ago, failed to make the ballot for the $1 million Rosehill feature due to inadequate prizemoney but that hasn't deterred Cummings who believes the horse can progress quickly through the grades and ultimately compete against the top tier of three-year-olds.
"I quite like him he's a really nice horse I think," commented Cummings after the youngster's debut performance.
Teranaba, which will be attempting the rarely achieved feat of graduating straight from a maiden to listed company, will have to be endowed with significant ability in order to accomplishment the task Cummings has set him today. But Cummings is under no illusions as to the difficulty of today's test or Teranaba's talent.
"It's definitely a big test but I am confident that he is up this standard," confided Cummings.
After today's Ming Dynasty Teranaba will continue on a path that could lead him to the Victoria Derby with the Spring Stakes at Newcastle, Tulloch Stakes and the Spring Champion Stakes his immediate goals.
This is the same route Cummings' outstanding four-year-old Hotel Grand pursued last year with his campaign ending in glorious circumstances with victory in the G1 Spring Champion.
"The Derby is a possibility because I think he is tough enough to do that."
As for any similarities between duel G1 winner Hotel Grand, which Cummings reports is recuperating well from the injury he sustained in last year's Rosehill Guineas, and Teranaba the trainer says they possess comparable levels of athletic ability.
"Yes they have similar characteristics in some respects and similar ability as well," he said.
"But this bloke has a better record at the same stage as he won his first race."
Among Teranaba's opponents today will be John O'Shea's highly touted duo Just Mambo and Two Twenty Swift, David Hayes' impeccably bred Danequest, Theseo, Sermon and $1.1 million Redoute's Choice colt Mearas which finished a promising sixth to Teranaba on debut.