The training partnership of legendary trainer Bart Cummings and his grandson James will be chasing another Group 1 victory with Hallowed Crown in the Group 1 $500,000 TAB Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Hallowed Crown headlines the Rosehill Guineas nominations. Photo by Steve Hart.
Hallowed Crown is one of a number of high quality three year olds nominated for the Rosehill Guineas which is one of five Group 1 races on a mammoth Golden Slipper race day.
With only fifteen nominations received, the Australian Turf Club has extended the entry deadline until 11am local time on Tuesday March 17, 2015.
Hallowed Crown has also been nominated for the Group 1 $1m George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill but James Cummings tweeted that the three year old will wait until the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 4 before taking on the older horses for the first time.
“Hallowed Crown will run in the G1 Rosehill Guineas on Saturday before his tilt at the older horses in the Doncaster,” James Cummings tweeted.
The Street Sense colt has only been beaten once from seven starts with two of his six wins being at Group 1 level with top Sydney rider Hugh Bowman in the saddle on both occasions.
Hallowed Crown and Bowman combined to win the Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill during the 2014 Sydney Spring Carnival and the pair teamed up again for a last start win in the Group 1 $600,000 Girvan Waugh Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick on March 7.
At his previous run Hallowed Crown was a first up winner in the Group 2 $200,000 Blackwoods CRC Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on February 21.
Bart and James Cummings have also nominated Ruling Dynasty who gets his chance at the top level after a five lengths winning performance in a 2000m Kembla Grange Class 1 on March 9.
Trainer John O’Shea has two entries in the Rosehill Guineas, restricted three year old Gouldian and the promising Sweynesse who has finished second to Hallowed Crown at both his runs this campaign in the Hobartville Stakes and the Randwick Guineas.
Leading trainer Chris Waller has three entries for the Rosehill Guineas with Kermadec, Preferment and Quick Strike.
Kermadec heads back to Sydney following his unlucky fourth to Wandjina in the Group 1 $500,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 7 and is also nominated for the Group 1 $1m George Ryder Stakes (1500m) on Saturday.
Top Melbourne jockey Damien Oliver will be reuniting with Preferment after the pair won the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington during the 2014 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Preferment has been well beaten at two runs back from a spell over unsuitable distances and Oliver expects the Zabeel three year old to be more competitive over the 2000m this weekend.
“I think he’s getting to his right distance now so I’d expect to see some improvement from him,” Oliver said.
“He’s not the type of horse you’d expect too much from at a mile but up to 2000 metres you’d expect to see him start to show some better form.”
Preferment was never in the hunt when eleventh first up in the Hobartville Stakes and then was always at the tail of the six horse field in the Randwick Guineas.
Cambridge trainer Murray Baker has nominated his smart staying three year old Mongolian Khan who is a winner of six of his seven race starts, including his last five straight.
Mongolian Khan showed his toughness and staying ability with a last start win in the Group 1 NZ$750,000 TV3 NZ Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on February 28 and no doubt will be heading towards the Group 1 $2m ATC Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 4, the first day of ‘The Championships’.
