Bart Cummings has won 13 Australian Cups and eight Newmarket Handicaps, but will be relying on wayward three-year-old Rock Classic to give him his first Australian Guineas success.The master trainer was aiming reigning Cox Plate winner So You Think at the Guineas (1600m) but when he failed to please in a jump-out a few weeks ago, the colt was sidelined until the spring without racing.Cummings decided Rock Classic had earned a shot at Saturday's $750,000 Group One feature after he won his second
Bart Cummings has won 13 Australian Cups and eight Newmarket Handicaps, but will be relying on wayward three-year-old Rock Classic to give him his first Australian Guineas success.
The master trainer was aiming reigning Cox Plate winner So You Think at the Guineas (1600m) but when he failed to please in a jump-out a few weeks ago, the colt was sidelined until the spring without racing.
Cummings decided Rock Classic had earned a shot at Saturday's $750,000 Group One feature after he won his second race from four starts at Rosehill on February 20.
He raced very greenly on that occasion and almost threw the race away prompting Cummings to make crucial gear changes - blinkers on, winkers and lugging bit off and norton bit on.
"He'll run a good mile. He worked nicely on Tuesday morning. It's his first real test this way but I think he's got a good future," Cummings said.
"The Guineas being a mile at Flemington and with the big straight stretch it could test Denman a bit. There are quite a few there who may be able to do it."
While Cummings hasn't won the Guineas, first run in 1986, he has had placegetters such as Sky Chase (second in 1988), Sir Midas (third in 1989) and Ustinov (third in 2002).
Michael Rodd will ride Rock Classic, who was beaten in a track gallop by stablemate Faint Perfume at Flemington on Tuesday, for the first time on Saturday.
"He came up against a pretty good work partner. He's pretty wayward I noticed in his races in Sydney," Rodd noted.
"They've thrown the blinkers on him so hopefully that switches him on a bit more. He's ticking over really well.
"He's drawn quite well (in barrier five) which is a big plus for him. He can get a nice soft run behind the leaders and hopefully he can feature in the finish."
"Obviously Denman is the standout. He's the one everyone is talking about.
But he's drawn barrier nine (of nine runners) and everybody is going to be watching what he's doing early so it's either going to be a big plus or a big minus for him."
Denman has eased slightly from $1.55 after the barrier draw to $1.60 favouritism with TAB Sportsbet ahead of the Peter Moody-trained filly Set For Fame at $5, Linton at $6.50 with Rock Classic at $21 and the Moody second stringer Hanks next best at $23.
Cummings does not have a runner in Saturday's Newmarket but has 2008 winner Sirmione and Moatize in the Australian Cup.