Godolphin trainer James Cummings believes the Coolmore Stud Stakes should hold the same relevance as the Golden Slipper.
The Slipper, run over 1200m at Rosehill, is the world's richest race for two-year-olds, with a lucrative $3,500,000 prize purse and is a magnet for publicity.
Cummings believes the Coolmore holds the same prestige, but with far less hype.
The Coolmore sprint is yet again shaping as arguably the highlight of the iconic Derby Day meeting at Flemington on Saturday.
The $1.5m prizemoney is not the main prize, but the chance to cement a place on the Darley stud roster is priceless.
The Group 1 three-year-old race will feature Cummings' talented colts Paulele, Kallos and Ingratiating all marked as legitimate chances in the feature down the straight at headquarters.
“Any colt that wins this race has a bright future as a stallion prospect, let me tell you that right now,” Cummings said on SEN Track’s Bensley.
“This is just about going to be the race of the carnival, it nearly is every year and yet again it’s a wonderful edition of the Coolmore.
“I just hope the VRC know what they’ve got with this race.”
Cummings and Godolphin are no strangers to having a superstar colt in their stable, with last Saturday’s Cox Plate runner-up Anamoe still number one in the country, however an impressive win in Saturday’s sprint could dethrone the Caulfield Guineas winner.
“Whilst we’re lucky to have Anamoe safely back in his box at the stable, he’s done for the spring and he’s going to be back next Autumn, he’s got to be one of most attractive stallion propositions of all the three-year-olds in the country right now,” he added.
“The only thing that might topple that is some brilliant performance in the Coolmore here, that’s how important this race is and we’re so grateful to be a part of it.
“I just think that it should have every bit the relevance that the Golden Slipper does, it’s essentially the Golden Slipper for the spring three-year-olds.”
In The Congo for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott is the current $4.20 favourite following his last-start win in the Golden Rose and will be ridden by champion jockey Craig Williams.
He is narrowly ahead of Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr's Extreme Warrior at $4.4 with Paulele on the third line of betting at $7.
Kallos ($11) and Ingratiating ($21) are both at double-figure odds for Godolphin.
