By Glenn Davis
Last year’s Stradbroke Handicap winner Impending claimed his second Group 1 victory in Queensland with a nail-biting win in the Kingsford-Smith Cup at Doomben on Saturday.
After being shuffled back on the home turn to near last, Impending came with a powerful finish to edge out Le Roman in a photo finish.
Champagne Cuddles was third.
Impending is in his final season before joining the Darley stallion roster at the end of the season and Godolphin has not ruled out chasing successive Stradbroke Handicaps at Doomben on June 9.
“He’s the sort of horse every trainer dreams about,” said Godolphin trainer, James Cummings.
“The track was a bit soft today which wasn’t ideal for us but he’s had a much better build up this time up here.
“It’s an enormous result especially for the stable and we’ll definitely consider running him in the Stradbroke as he just keeps improving as he gets further into his preparation.”
Brown said it was an honor to ride for Godolphin.
“I’ve had a bit of luck riding for Godolphin and they’ve been good to me,” Brown said.
“He’s a real trooper. Things didn’t go his way today but his class told.”
Meanwhile jockey Corey Brown declared Lean Mean Machine was “something special” following the Sydneysider’s win in the Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1350m).
Lean Mean Machine gave Australian Hall Of Fame trainer Chis Waller his third Sires’ Produce Stakes win when the colt burst along the rails to down stablemate Zousain by three-quarters of a length.
Queenslanders Boomsara and Sizzling Ace dead-heated for third, a short half head away.
Waller was successful with Pressday in 2010 and Zoustar in 2013 while Brown previously won the feature on the Peter Snowden-trained Fravashi in 2008.
“I haven’t ridden a horse like this for a long time,” Brown said.
“We cut a few corners but everything opened up and he was in the wrong part of the track.
“He’s pretty special.”
Waller plans to run Lean Mean Machine in the G1 Group 1 J J Atkins (1600m) at Doomben on June 9 before a likely spring campaign aimed at the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas in October.
“When he gets a bit more solid he’s a classic type for the Guineas,” Waller said.
“These races here are obvious for him and it’s good to see him going into the J J Atkins in good form.”
Racing Queensland webnews May 26