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By Ray Hickson

Godolphin head trainer James Cummings is confident that exciting colt Paulele has had the necessary groundwork to protect his unbeaten Randwick record when he resumes there on Saturday.

Trainer James Cummings (Pic: Steve Hart).

Four times the colt has been to headquarters and his shortest winning margin is just under 1-1/2 lengths in those four victories.

And after a midweek market move into $2.40 favourite by Thursday with TAB for the Group 3 $160,000 Petaluma Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m), punters will be pleased to hear Cummings speak confidently about Paulele.

“He’ll get the opportunity to build on an already enviable Randwick record,” he said.

“There we good horses in his trial and he was out there to take improvement from it, which he did. He’s come right on from then.

“It was a good, solid, hit-out to be ready for a six furlong (1200m) target first-up.”

That trial was a 900m scamper at Randwick on January 24 and he closed off his gallop nicely to finish fourth behind the speedy Malkovich.

It wasn’t unlike his one trial leading into his dynamic first-up win in the spring where he blew In The Congo off the park running 32.44 for his last 600m (Punter's Intelligence) to win The Rosebud over 1100m.

There was Everest talk around Paulele last year and at the time Cummings suggested that he might develop into their 2022 contender so his progress this preparation will be of interest.

He’s a $26 chance with TAB in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) market on Day 1 of The Championships and if he makes it to that feature sprint it says he’s on trial for the Everest.

The Godolphin camp is out to flex some two-year-old muscle in the Listed $140,000 Darley Lonhro Plate (1100m) with the colt Spacewalk and filly Plymstock fronting up.

The latter is a half-sister to Everest placegetter Trekking and like her half-sibling kicked off her career with an impressive win, at Randwick over 1000m two weeks ago.

Cummings said the filly has the chance to prove herself worthy of being aimed at Golden Slipper qualification if she can repeat the dose.

“She’s a fast-running type of filly and we had no doubt targeting a Saturday race for her first-up,” he said.

“It looks like she gets another good chance to build on her record coming up against a horse like Lady Laguna who has already done a fair bit.

“It will be interesting to see if she can go to the next level now that the pressure is starting to build.”

Spacewalk made his debut in the Breeders’ Plate back in the spring and while he was sent out a $21 chance there he showed there’s an engine with a gutsy fifth behind Sejardan after racing wide on the pace.

The barrier gods have been kinder on Saturday and Cummings said he will get his chance to live up to the blue army’s opinion of him.

“He’s one of our strongest two-year-olds,” he said.

“He should get a more economical run than in the Breeders’ Plate last year given he’s drawn barrier two in this race.

“We liked the way he was able to tough his way through a wide run in his barrier trial. He’s tightened up nicely from that. He’s an interesting colt.”

Cummings warned that Spacewalk could parade a bit fresh but expects his natural ability to put him around the mark first-up.

Kallos is an interesting Godolphin runner at Randwick as he returns against older horses in the Ranvet Sprint (1000m).

Paulele runs fourth in a trial at Randwick on January 24

The colt made the leap from a Hawkesbury maiden win first-up in the spring to take out the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington before finishing down the track in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes.

He finished full off running in his barrier trial recently behind Lost And Running and Cummings is looking forward to seeing how far he can go this time around.

“He’s come back after another light preparation of three runs,” he said.

“He’s entitled to run very well first-up and, if he can take the next step, he might just win a nice three-year-old race this preparation. That’s what we want to see from him.

“Despite the fact he’s running against the older horses this weekend, he’s capable of running well against them.”

Emanate is also resuming since the spring and Cummings is keen to chase some more black type with her this preparation.

The five-year-old is yet to win first-up but boasts a solid second-up record so with retirement looming her placement should be watched.

“It will just be a matter of racing her less rather than more as she gets closer to retiring to the farm (stud) where she’s going to have an important job,” he said.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting