The first month of the racing season has been good to Monica Cummings and Gooree, but next month could prove outstanding.
The red-and-black silks have won 10 races in August. However, the star team could potentially be set to deliver three group 1s before the Sydney spring is over.
"It is exciting to see our horses doing so well and there are a couple there that could keep winning, and if they do it will be in the big races," Monica said. "You just have to get excited when a colt like Hallowed Crown comes out and does what he did on Saturday.
"Then there is Rock Sturdy and Sultry Feeling [this week] that we have high hopes with as well."
When Hallowed Crown raced into Golden Rose favouritism in The Run To The Rose, it was a twofold delight for Gooree's racing manager.
"That's my husband," she said proudly as co-trainer James Cummings, who she married only a couple of months ago, was interviewed.
James trains in partnership with his legendary grandfather Bart and they could provide another group success for Gooree this weekend when Sultry Feeling steps out in the Furious Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
"She is a filly that was competitive with Bring Me The Maid as a two-year-old and she has come back a much better three-year-old," James said. "We need to test her against these top-class three-year-old fillies and she does have the advantage of having a run over the likes of Earthquake, so it is the time to take her to a group 2.
"I think she could be there in the Flight Stakes if everything goes right because she is a very strong filly, but this will be a test to see where we are."
Gooree will also have Rock Sturdy at Randwick but what race he runs in is still to be decided as trainer Joe Pride tries to plot the best path to next month's Epsom. He has the Fastnet Rock four-year-old in the Tramway Stakes, which offers an exemption from the ballot for the Epsom, but also in another 1400-metre race restricted to benchmark 85.
"He is a very nice horse but we will have a talk with Gooree before making a final call on what race we will go to on Saturday," Pride said. "We would like to get him into the Epsom and he will have two runs before it.
"I'm not scared of taking on the better horses with him because I think he is up to it. So, it will come down to what is the best program for him.
"He can run in the Tramway but still has to have another run, or we can go to the 85 on Saturday and wait for the Bill Ritchie in a couple of weeks, which also gets him into the Epsom.
"I want to get this right because it would be great to add to Gooree's success and a group 1 win would make him a valuable stallion."
Meanwhile, Destiny's Kiss and Travolta are joint topweights for Friday's Wyong Cup that attracted 21 entries.
Melbourne Cup favourite The Offer will work at Moonee Valley on Tuesday morning in preparation for his return in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes on Saturday. The nominations for the Melbourne Cup will be revealed on Tuesday and record international interest is expected.
