By Adam Pengilly
Anthony Cummings has turned to his Victoria Derby-winning rider Damien Oliver in a bid to spark Fiveandahalfstar to a second The BMW success in three years at Rosehill on Saturday.
Cummings, himself without a group 1 win since Fiveandahalfstar and Your Song (BTC Cup) racked up three between them in the 2012-13 season, will get his firmest indication yet of where Fiveandahalfstar is at after easing back into racing from a near two-year hiatus.
Back on board: Damien Oliver on Fiveandahalfstar.Credit: Pat Scala
"He [Oliver] is a last-start winner on him so I figured that would be the way to go," Cummings joked of the Oliver booking.
"I suppose there was always reason to bring [Fiveandahalfstar] back because there's potential for that [stakes success again]. I think he's come back and ticked every box along the way. There's still improvement to come and he probably doesn't peak until after this run regardless where we go."
Oliver's Victoria Derby win on Fiveandahalfstar came days before the betting storm surrounding the champion rider broke in the spring carnival, later banned for eight months.
Plenty of water has gone under the bridge for Oliver and Fiveandahalfstar since the heady spring of November 2012, not least of all for Cummings' now five-year-old, who has performed admirably in three runs back over shorter distances this autumn.
"He was there and he had a couple of issues, but you always had the idea he would come back and be OK," Cummings said.
"I wasn't sure exactly where we were aiming coming off such a long break and it's a bit difficult to be sure. It was on the wish list absolutely and you want to be there trying to repeat what he's done, but right now The BMW looks the most suitable race for him at the moment and at this point in the week that's where we intend to go.
"There's a couple of newbies and you don't know what they're going to do, but we're just hoping he's going to have a good week and he draws well to enable him to run to his potential."
The BMW, worth a reduced $1.5 million this year, is laced with topline talent amongst its 21 entires released on Monday as a rematch between the Melbourne Cup trifecta of Protectionist, Red Cadeaux and Who Shot Thebarman remains a possibility.
Fiveandahalfstar won't be the only former winner engaged with Roger James keen to back up defending champion Silent Achiever after the Kiwi mare ran fourth in Contributer's Ranvet Stakes on Saturday.
The participation of Caulfield Cup runner-up Rising Romance is considered a lot more problematic after the mare was reported to have a bruised heel on her near fore leg after being beaten in the Epona Stakes.
Cummings will have three group 1 runners across two different states within 24 hours on the weekend as he prepares to float Fontelina south for the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday night. Fontelina has also been entered in the group 3 Star Kingdom Stakes on Saturday as a precaution.
"He had a nice gallop on Friday and then again [Monday] morning," Cummings said. "He worked the Melbourne way around and he's a bit of an old stager at all of that and it was just to remind him.
"I think it's an even field and he's certainly there to run well. He's fit to run the 1200 [metres] at that level right now."
Miss Interiors will also line up for Cummings in the group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill.