Godolphin and James Cummings will be hoping to add another Group 1 trophy to the vast number in the cabinet when Cascadian lines up at Flemington.
Cascadian faces seven opponents in the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) on Saturday, a race Godolphin and Cummings is yet to win since it was elevated to Group 1 status in 2013.
While Cascadian maybe winless at Flemington, having registered four placings in six attempts at the track, he is nonetheless a multiple Group 1 winner taking out The Doncaster at Randwick in 2021 and the All-Aged Stakes at the same track earlier this year.
The gelding has also had the benefit of one run back from a spell, finishing an unlucky third behind Snapdancer in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 27.
Cascadian will again have the services of Blake Shinn who partnered the gelding at Caulfield.
“He was really pleased with the horse, he just got squeezed up at the beginning, so the horse was a position or two further back than Blake would have loved to have been,” Cummings said.
“He followed I’m Thunderstruck through and claimed third spot in the Memsie and the winner has been snapped up for The Everest, so the race rated well, and the form looks pretty solid coming out of it.”
Cummings said Cascadian had progressed from his first-up placing, without having to do a lot of work in the lead-up to Saturday’s Group 1 contest.
“He’s a pretty athletic horse and tends to run pretty good races at Flemington, so I can see him running another good race,” Cummings said.
“Hopefully things fall into his lap and the race is there for him to win.
“He’s got the right form line to be one of the main dangers to the favourite.”
Cascadian sits on the third line of betting for the Group 1 contest at $6 which sees I’m Thunderstruck, second in the Memsie Stakes, the $2.30 favourite with TAB ahead of Alligator Blood at $4.80.