New-look Tom Kitten bounces back to best

The tough decision to geld Group One winner Tom Kitten is on the way to being vindicated with the Godolphin four-year-old claiming some high-profile scalps to land a first-up blow at Rosehill.

The Precise Air Handicap (1400m) attracted a quality field, headlined by fellow major winners Hinged and Communist, along with ATC Australian Derby runner-up Ceolwulf and 2022 Moonee Valley Cup victor Francesco Guardi.

But it was Tom Kitten who took the race by the scruff of the neck, finding a trailing position early then hooking to the centre of the track and attacking the line with gusto to score.

It followed a below par autumn in which last year’s Spring Champion Stakes winner raced competitively without managing a placing in five starts, prompting the Godolphin team to make the difficult call to cut him.

“I don’t know how we’re going to forgive ourselves for doing that to a horse so promising,” head trainer James Cummings said.

“But he’s going to have the ability now to keep getting right back to the top.

“I don’t think it will be next start, we can take a little bit of time to get there.

“He is down in the ratings, he was only rated 98 today so that gives us an opportunity to be mixing in the handicaps before he has to tackle the weight-for-age and set weights races.

“But hopefully by the end of this campaign he’s back in the game.”

The gelding holds a nomination for the Cox Plate, while Cummings confirmed races like the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick and the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) will be considered, pending his form.

Tom Kitten ($2.60 bookies fav) was dominant on Saturday, putting two lengths on nearest rival Amor Victorious ($3.20), who fought on stoutly after making the running, with Lavish Empire ($12) another half-neck away third.

Ceolwulf ($14) and Hinged ($10) both settled back in the field and were doing their best work late over the final 100m in positive openings to their respective campaigns.