Racing: Cummings gears up for autumn riches

Bart Cummings (right). Photo / Getty Images

SYDNEY - Sirmione and Moatize will return to training this week as the advance guard for Bart Cummings' assault on the autumn carnivals.

The two were notable absentees from the master trainer's all-conquering spring team, both being given the time to fully recover from injuries incurred earlier this year.

Sirmione suffered a back problem which was detected after he pulled up sore from the St George Stakes in February.

That race was to have been his lead-up to his defence of the Australian Cup which will again be the target.

A couple of weeks later, Moatize was found to have a knee injury after he finished third in the Ranvet Stakes, won by Theseo from the Cummings-trained Viewed.

"Sirmione and Moatize will go to the Melbourne stable this week to get ready for the Australian cup," Cummings said.

"Sirmione had a fracture in his back while Moatize had a knee injury.

"After the Australian Cup we will look at races like the BMW in Sydney."

Moatize signalled his potential in the spring of last year with victory in the Saab Quality followed by a solid sixth in the Melbourne Cup won by Viewed.

The latter won this year's Caulfield Cup from stablemate Roman Emperor but the two finished out of the placings in the Melbourne Cup.

They and spring group one winning stablemates So You Think and Allez Wonder will come back to Cummings' Sydney stable in three weeks.

Toorak Handicap winner Allez Wonder also ran in the Melbourne Cup but failed to run out the 3200m and will be kept to shorter races.

"I think the Doncaster looks like a nice race for her," Cummings said.

"I don't know yet what Viewed will do. It's not certain that he will go to the BMW."

Cox Plate winner So you Think will be aimed at the Australian Guineas before returning to Sydney for a possible tilt at the AJC Australian Derby.

In the more immediate future, Star Ripper will be aimed at next month's Christmas Cup and Summer Cup as a stepping stone to next year's Melbourne Cup.

The emerging stayer extended his winning run to three with victory over 2400m at Randwick on Saturday.

The Encosta De Lago four-year-old is out of Dane Ripper who Cummings trained to win the 1997 Stradbroke Handicap.

She went on to win the Cox Plate that year and added the 1998 Australian Cup to her achievements.

- AAP