After James Cummings reported to the NSW Stewards that Traffic Warden had suffered a hock last Thursday, many horse racing fans worried that the star Godolphin sprinter would miss The Everest at Randwick Racecourse on 19 October.
Cummings has now clarified that Traffic Warden is “absolutely fine” and will be ready to Race in Australia’s richest race on Sunday. Traffic Warden is currently one of The Everest betting odds leaders with $7 chances to win.
Alarms started flashing in the horse racing betting world when Godolphin reported to the NSW Racing Stewards that their star colt Traffic Warden had suffered an injury to his hocks while in his stable.
Trainer James Cummings has now clarified the story. He says the injury was very minor and that it was only reported to avoid any problems later on if the stewards spotted evidence of treatment on the colt.
“He took fright, slipped, and got a scrape,” Cummings explained, “It’s a long way from his heart,” he added.
“He’s absolutely fine, but we’re just being on the front foot to do the right thing given the focus on the race.
“The vets will come on Monday, they’ll come on Friday, and I’ve been around long enough to know if they come and they see on Monday there’s a little bit of spray, they’ll say, ‘what’s this, why didn’t you tell us?’”
James Cummings could not have been more clear about Traffic Warden’s injury status. In addition to saying the three-year-old is healthy, Cummings explained that Traffic Warden is roaring to go ahead of The Everest.
“He’s fresh and has worked beautifully and we’re delighted with him for next week,” Cummings said.
The trainer then added that Traffic Warden’s form in recent races gives him confidence going into The Everest this weekend.
Traffic Warden won the Group 2 Run To The Rose at Rosehill in mid-September. Two weeks later, he finished second in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes behind his stablemate Broadsiding.
“I love the fact that he hit the ground running this prep as a three-year-old,” Cummings said, referring to Traffic Warden’s last two starts.
“His run in the Run To The Rose was excellent and it’s an excellent race as a projection for what a three-year-old might have got to offer.
“The horse flesh in the enclosure for the Run To The Rose was very impressive, and he was best on the ground, so he’ll head to the Everest a mature three-year-old dropping to 53 kilos under the weight-for-age scale.”
While James Cummings was pleased about Traffic Warden’s preparation for the big race, he admitted that it will be much more difficult for the colt in The Everest than in other Group 1 races he’s run in.
“Weight-for-age is weight-for-age, there’s no hiding in it, and he’s going to need to butter up against some tough horses,” Cummings said.
“There is quite a number of mares in this year’s Everest, more than previously, and an amalgamation of promising three-year-olds, of which he’s one of four, provided Storm Boy runs.”
In the end, though, Cummings said he was confident about his horse’s chances.
“I think he is going to be a danger,” he said.
The betting sites agree with Cummings. Most top outlets have Traffic Warden as one of the favourites to win at $7 odds. This puts him level with Bella Nipotina and Growing Empire. I Wish I Win is the outright favourite with $5.50 chance to win.
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