Trainer James Cummings will enter new territory if Pericles can give him a third win in a Stakes race at Caulfield on Saturday.
Cummings will join Brian Courtney as the most winningest trainer in the history of the Group 2 P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m), a race that had its origins as the J J Liston Stakes before undergoing a name change in 2010 to honour a former Chairman of the Melbourne Racing Club.
Victorious with Hartnell (2017) and Savitiano (2020), Cummings will be represented by Pericles in this year’s edition.
Cummings believes Saturday’s contest is the right race for Pericles to kick-start his spring campaign and is looking forward to the gelding’s return to Caulfield.
Pericles has raced twice at the track previously, finishing sixth behind Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni in the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes before running second to Mr Brightside in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes, both over Saturday’s journey.
“It looks the right race for Pericles,” Cummings said.
“He’s had a nice preliminary. He’s big and burly and feeling well early on in his campaign, but I’ve loved the way that he’s trained on since his two public trials.
“He left his last preparation with an outstanding second in the Futurity to give me the confidence that he will get around Caulfield neatly and be a good winning chance in the P B Lawrence.”
While not a winner at Group 1 level, Pericles has been knocking on the door of Group 1 success.
Besides the Futurity second placings, he has finished second in the Rosehill Guineas, The Golden Eagle and the Doncaster Mile.
“He’s rated 110, so he’s the equal highest rated horse in this race,” Cummings said.
“I would love to see the horse win a couple more this prep before he finds his way into the absolute creme de la creme of top races.
“He was narrowly beaten in a Doncaster, narrowly beaten in a Golden Eagle, narrowly beaten in a Rosehill Guineas.
“They are three top races, and I would like to think that his time will come, so it would be nice to give him that winning feeling fresh up.
“But it is a solid enough race, so he’s going to need to be returning very well to be winning.”