Best Of Days nominated for Blamey Stakes

Best Of Days (Blue/White cap) must pass two jump-outs to take his place in the Blamey Stakes.

Group One winner Best Of Days will have to pass two barrier tests during the week if he is to take his place in the Blamey Stakes at Flemington.

The James Cummings-trained Best Of Days refused to jump with the rest of the field in Saturday’s Group One Futurity Stakes at Caulfield.

He took no part in the race after being eased down by Craig Williams shortly after he eventually left the gates a long way behind the rest of the field.

Stewards initially suspended Best Of Days from racing until he performed to their satisfaction in an official barrier trial.

But with no official trials scheduled in Victoria until next Monday, Racing Victoria’s deputy chief steward Rob Montgomery confirmed Best Of Days could instead go to two jump-outs to be re-instated, which he believed could be on Wednesday and Thursday.

Best Of Days was nominated for Saturday’s Group Two Blamey (1600m) on Monday and acceptances are on Wednesday.

“I’ve said to Mr Cummings we will allow him to accept, obviously as long as he goes all right on the Wednesday morning, and he can complete a second jump-out on the Thursday,” Montgomery said.

A strong performance in the Blamey could press Best Of Days’ claims for one of the remaining three wildcards for the $5 million All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington two weeks later.

Formerly trained in England, Godolphin’s Best Of Days won the Group One Cantala Stakes over the Flemington 1600m last spring in his first Australian preparation.

The Blamey has attracted a quality list of 22 nominations including import Johannes Vermeer who has not raced since the 2017 spring carnival when he finished second in the Caulfield Stakes, third in the Caulfield Cup and second in the Melbourne Cup for Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien.

Now trained by Liam Howley for prominent owner Lloyd Williams, Johannes Vermeer is another who could press for an All-Star Mile wildcard.

“Johannes Vermeer will go to the Blamey and I guess you’d think if he happened to come out impressively and win the Blamey then maybe he would progress to the All-Star Mile,” part-owner Nick Williams told RSN927 on Monday.

“Otherwise he could go to Sydney for something like the Ranvet Stakes or he might not go anywhere at all.”