James Cummings delays Derby decision

Trainer James Cummings will wait until acceptance time to decide whether the stable will have one or two runners in the Victoria Derby and can make a case for both Good Standing and Prized Icon.

Good Standing won the Caulfield Classic (2000m) at his most recent start and while the 2500 metres of the Derby is a query, the colt has some class on his side.

“He’s by Artie Schiller who’s yet to get a stakes winner past 2000 metres so the horse might be too brilliant for the Derby but he’s had the grounding for it and he’s extremely fit,” Cummings said.

Champagne Stakes winner Prized Icon was fifth in last Saturday’s Vase (2040m) at Moonee Valley and Cummings will continue to monitor the colt before making a call whether he backs up.

“We’re just making sure he’s right, if we’re going to back him up,” Cummings said on Tuesday.

“Things didn’t exactly go his way in the Vase so his run was a little bit common, but he has to be given excuses and for that reason we can still consider running him in the Derby this weekend.

“Two starts ago he was half a length off the odds-on favourite for the Oaks, Yankee Rose, and she ran a place in the Cox Plate.

“His form is good enough for him to bounce back and be a reasonable hope in the race. So we’ll make sure that he’s 100 per cent before we commit to that decision tomorrow morning.”