JAMES Cummings need only look at last year’s Group 2 Sir John Monash P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) to know history is on his side with Hartnell on Saturday.

And if that wasn’t enough to boost his confidence he can turn the clock back to February when Hartnell won the Group 1 Orr Stakes, also at Caulfield over 1400m.

Hartnell resumes as an eight-year-old on Saturday, but the trainer said he’s showing few signs of his age.

“He might be an eight-year-old, but he’s still young at heart,” Cummings said. “From what he’s shown us, he’s ready to run another nice race fresh.”

Cummings said Hartnell was going down a well tried path which he’d handled successfully

“It looks to be a strong edition of this race, but that’s what we thought last year as well and he beat them comfortably. I give him a sporting chance of winning.”

Last year there was pre-drama as Craig Williams realised he had worn a lighter vest than what he’d weighed out in when he arrived at the barriers and borrowed tools from the farriers in order to make the weight.

Williams rode Hartnell 1.3kg over his allocated weight and was fined $2000.

Williams will on Saturday ride Hartnell, who is second favourite with TAB at $6, behind Grunt ($5).

Williams will also ride the Godolphin stable’s Osborne Bulls, who is a $3.30 favourite in the Regal Roller Stakes (1200m).

Osborne Bulls, is a five-year-old gelding by Winx’s sire Street Cry and has won seven of his ten starts and finished second twice and third once. Cummings said Osborne Bulls was being set for the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 22.

“He’s an exciting horse who’s never run a bad race,” Cummings said. “All he knows is to hit the line. He still has residual fitness from his autumn campaign when we hoped he might sneak into the Stradbroke.”

Boyd scan positive
THE prognosis for mature- age apprentice Anthony Boyd is positive after he was knocked unconscious and flown to the Alfred Hospital after a trackwork accident at Ballarat on Thursday morning.

Victorian Jockeys’ Association chief executive Matt Hyland said Boyd was in the intensive care unit and his scans showed there was no serious damage.

“In these incidents the worry is there’s swelling or bleeding on the brain but the initial scans show no signs of that so there’s no serious injury or need for surgery,” Hyland said.