Anthony Cumming is never afraid to throw a talented horse into the deep end so it will be no surprise if we see runaway maiden winner Kote pop up next in a stakes race after his impressive victory at Canterbury on Wednesday.
The Choisir gelding had four starts during the autumn on bottomless tracks, three of them in stakes races and while he didn’t place, he showed enough to say he’d be competitive in a maiden and so it proved to be.
Entered for the Caulfield Guineas, Kote was sent forward by Tommy Berry and led all the way to win over 1250m by four and a half lengths.
Bred by Anthony Cummings, Kote runs for an ownership group partnership that includes his trainer and Trilogy Racing as well as other partners.
Kote is a half-brother to handy Sydney metro winner Caesars Palace, who is also trained by Cummings and has won over $300,000. He is the second winner from unraced Iffraaj (GB) mare Soffraaj, a daughter of Group III placed Soelin from the family of Group I New Zealand Oaks winner Savaria.
Soffraaj has been back to Coolmore in recent years and has a yearling colt by Magna Grecia (IRE) and is back in foal to him again.
Kote is from the second last crop of foals by much missed Coolmore favourite Choisir, who passed away last year.
