James Cummings' amazing season with his 2-year-olds has seen Godolphin win Australia's richest two juvenile races, the G1 Golden Slipper S. and the Magic Millions 2YO Classic. He is placed third in terms of total 2-year-old wins for Australian trainers this season.
The Godolphin blue has certainly been dominant through the major 2-year-old races, with Exhilarates' (Snitzel) win in the Gold Coast feature followed up by Kiamichi's (Sidestep) upset success in the Golden Slipper and then Microphone's (Exceed And Excel) victory in the G1 Inglis Sires'.
They were three of the 14 2-year-old stakes wins for Cummings in 2018/19 in a season where his juveniles won 33 races at a strike rate of 17.5 per cent and collected over $7.5 million in prizemoney.
Kiamichi led home a Godolphin 1-2-3 in the Golden Slipper
In one of the most clear-cut demonstrations of the burgeoning nature of the Cummings and Godolphin relationship, in the 2017/18 season prior they had 24 juvenile wins, including just one stakes win.
Yet, at this stage of the season, it is not Cummings who leads all trainers on 2-year-old wins. That honour belongs to Peter and Paul Snowden with 45 wins to date.
The father-son partnership is renowned for producing brilliant young horses and are trusted with many of the highest profile youngsters to go through a sale ring. While the pair didn’t win any 2-year-old Group 1s this season, they have had another banner year, with 10 2-year-old stakes wins and close to $4 million in prizemoney.
That is a jump from 32 wins (and three stakes wins) last season, and the same number of wins Peter Snowden presented for Darley in his amazing 2010/11 season. Snowden won all five 2-year-old Group 1 races that season, including 13 stakes races.
Peter and Paul haven't had the elite performers this season that Snowden Snr had back then, however the consistency is faultless. Anaheed (Fastnet Rock) is their leading 2-year-old earner on $815,200, while Hightail (Written Tycoon) and Strasbourg (I Am invincible) have both earned in excess of $400,000.
Anaheed is the leading 2YO earner for the Snowden Stable, pictured winning the G2 Percy Sykes S.
Lindsay Park approaching 40
The Lindsay Park operation of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig have had the most 2-year-old runners of any stable and have the second most number of wins with 39. That is just one short of the mark they have set in each of the past two seasons and with so many 2-year-olds active at the moment, they should make it the best season for Lindsay Park 2-year-olds since David Hayes had 60 wins in 2007/08.
G1 Blue Diamond S. runner-up Lankan Star (Nicconi) has been the stable's leading 2-year-old earner this season with just short of $400,000, while Sebrakate (Sebring) has won the most races with three. Power Scheme (Fiorente {Ire}) and Champagne Boom (Spirit of Boom) have been their two 2-year-old stakes winners.
Lindsay Park trained a 2-year-old double at Pakenham on Tuesday with two Fastnet Rock colts owned by Coolmore in Memphis Rock and Conqueror, both of which could measure up to stakes company as 3-year-olds.
David Hayes, Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes have the second highest number of 2YO winners on 39
David Hayes holds high hopes for Conqueror, a $1 million Karaka purchase who looks destined for Group 1 racing in the spring.
"I think he's pretty smart. He’ll go to Flemington on the 10th and run in the 1400m 3-year-old race which often throws up a nice horse. I'm hoping he can be one of our horses to go towards the (Caulfield) Guineas or the Spring Champion, depending on how he is racing when he goes over further. He always looked a Sires' class 2-year-old but went shin sore," Hayes told RSN.
"I'm hoping he can be one of our horses to go towards the (Caulfield) Guineas or the Spring Champion." - David Hayes
"He's a bit late maturing, but a good looking horse as you’d imagine, being a $1 million yearling."
David Hayes has high hopes for Conqueror, a $1 million Karaka purchase
Former Lindsay Park trainer Tony McEvoy's 2018-19 hasn’t quite measured up to last season in terms of numbers and quality, but with 21 wins, it’s been another strong campaign.
She Shao Fly (Epaulette) and Sun City (Zoustar) both won stakes races, with a total prizemoney of $1.3 million from McEvoy's 2-year-olds to date this campaign.
New 2YO winner for Gai and Adrian
As it stands, the 19 2-year-old wins for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott is the least in a season for the 'First Lady Of Racing' since 2010/11 but is no doubt a reflection of the competitive nature of the Sydney 2-year-old scene at the moment.
Dawn Passage (Dawn Approach {Ire}) has been Waterhouse and Bott's leading 2-year-old earner this season with $253.000, while Bellevue Hill (Pierro), Unite And Conquer (Hinchinbrook) and Vinicunca (I Am Invincible) were the three stakes winners.
Echo Lad (Squamosa) was the most recent of their 2-year-old winners when breaking his maiden over 1600m at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
Vinicunca was a winner of the G3 Maribyrnong Plate for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott
Flying Freedman
Anthony Freedman won Godolphin's other 2-year-old Group 1 for the season, the Blue Diamond S. with Lyre (Lonhro). She was the highlight of a brilliant 2-year-old season for Freedman who has had 17 wins to date at a strike rate of 30.4%.
That’s the highest number of 2-year-old wins from any of the Freedman clan since Lee had 22 in 2009/10, but with much bigger numbers. Anthony has had just 56 2-year-old starters this season and 32 of them have either won or been placed.
The other highlights from the season were the emergence of I Am Immortal (I Am Invincible), who was a dual stakes winner, as well as the promise shown by Super Seth (Dundeel {NZ}), Meuse (Snitzel) and King Of Hastings (Ilovethiscity).
Anthony Freedman with jockey Luke Currie after their G1 Blue Diamond S. win
Anthony Cummings also won a 2-year-old Group 1, the JJ Atkins S. with Prince Fawaz (Fastnet Rock).
Cummings has had only 17 2-year-old starters for the season, but of his four wins, two have been at stakes level, the other with his very promising filly Libertini (I Am Invincible).
Chris Waller has had 16 2-year-old wins, with one stakes winner in Accession (Brazen Beau), while the stable which encountered the greatest growth of any this season, Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, had had 14 wins, but five of them at stakes level, headed by Dubious (Not A Single Doubt) and Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible).
Newnham the strike rate king
The king of the strike rate in New South Wales has been the rising force of Mark Newnham.
Newnham had just seven 2-year-old wins last season but has increased that to 14 at a winning strike rate above 30 per cent in 2018/19.
Mark Newnham inspecting yearlings at this year's Inglis Easter Yearling Sale
With three full seasons of training now under his belt, Newnham's experience, plus a clear jump in the quality of stock, has seen him leap up the premiership standings.
His overall numbers of wins have jumped from 42 to 52 so far this season, while his prizemoney has leapt from $1.97m in 2017/18 to over $3.5m this campaign.
His 2-year-olds have made a considerable impression late in the season highlighted by a stakes-double in Doomben in early June with Shadow Hero (Pierro) and Diamond Thunder (Dawn Approach {Ire}).
