Sydney trainer James Cummings is considering a weight-for-age run in the Emirates Stakes on the last day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival with his classic colt Good Standing after an impressive Ladbrokes Caulfield Classic 2016 win.

Ladbrokes Classic winner Good Standing could head to the 2016 Emirates Stakes at Flemington on November 5. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Things didn’t go to plan last start for the Artie Schiller colt who got posted wide in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) just seven days earlier to finish 2.3 lengths away seventh to the winner Divine Prophet.

Cummings stepped him up in distance on the quick back-up on Caulfield Cup Day running Good Standing against a field of fellow three-year-olds again in the $500,000 Group 3 Ladbrokes Classic (2000m).

Jockey Blake Shinn took over from Hugh Bowman in the saddle and tactically gave the up-and-comer the perfect ride to enjoy his third win from 11 rides for the stable over the past 12 months.

“He gave me a great ride,” Shinn said post-win.

Shinn simply outrode his rivals in the Ladbrokes Caulfield Classic, going to the front to face the stiff breeze and put the brakes on early to turn the showdown into a walk.

“I was happy to pretty much just amble to the front,” he said.

“I got gifted [the lead] and I knew I was on the best horse in the race.”

Good Standing and Shinn moved up the rails to set the moderate early pace up front from Odeon, while the Chris Waller-trained UCI Stakes winning colt Wine Bush got trapped out wide pressing on deep to settle third.

After letting a few go around him soon after the jump, jockey Brad Rawiller got the smart Mick Price-trained perennial placegetter Rocketeer settled in fourth.

With the lead the favourite Good Standing turned it into a track gallop, but despite that slow early pace and the sedately run race the eventual winning time was still quicker than the fillies the race before in the Ethereal Stakes.

Having been caught wide, Larrikin went up to sit on the outside of Good Standing and the two battled out for the lead.

Shinn with the positive ride kept the eventual winner in front narrowly and on the straight he was the one to run down.

“He’s got a great turn of foot this galloper,” Shinn said of Good Standing.

“He’s mixed it with the best three-year-olds around.”

Once Shinn pressed the button Good Standing ($2.90) responded well and held on to win by three-quarters of a length from Rocketeer ($6) who went all the way along the rails, taking a lot of the ground off the winning margin in the final stages finishing off really well for his fourth second place effort on the trot.

Rounding out the Ladbrokes Classic trifecta in third was the Team Hawkes-trained So You Think colt Inference ($6.50) in another good run after his fourth in the Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley last time out.

“He’s a striking individual, a great cut of a horse,” Shinn added.

“He’s going to mix it with the best around when he turns into the autumn this horse.”

Cummings said that although Good Standing was entered for the $1.5 million Group 1 VRC Derby (2500m) over the extra metres at Flemington on October 29, he was tempted to give him a crack at the older gallopers at weight-for-age in the lucrative $2 million Group 1 Emirates Stakes (2000m) the following Saturday.

“You’d have to respect the strength of his win,” Cummings said.

“We’d reflect on that when we discuss where to go next.

“I’ve got him in the Derby but we can think about how strongly he won here today before deciding.

“The Emirates Stakes over the 2000m at weight-for-age, he’d only carry 51 kilos there.

“Some of those big guns will got to the paddock [giving him a chance].

“His first go at the mile and a quarter today into the breeze, I must say I was very proud of his effort.

“He’s a classy colt and he’s a really impressive type so whatever I run him in next time I’m sure he’ll run really well.”

To back Good Standing next race and check out the early 2016 Victoria Derby odds and Emirates Stakes betting markets head to Ladbrokes.com.au now!

2016 Ladbrokes Classic Results & Finishing Order

Caulfield Race 5 – 15/10/2016