Hallowed Crown is following a template that helped turn So You Think into one of the best middle-distance horses of the modern era in a bid to give Leilani Lodge an overdue Rosehill Guineas win.
The colt has won six of his seven starts for Bart and James Cummings and is the nominal favourite for the Group One Guineas at Rosehill on Saturday despite concerns over his stamina to run out 2000 metres.
Hallowed Crown
But Cummings Jr assures the doubters nothing has been left to chance as Hallowed Crown tries to complete the Randwick Guineas-Rosehill Guineas double.
Hallowed Crown galloped on the Randwick course proper with stablemate Ruling Dynasty on Tuesday morning in a piece of a work that replicated what Cummings did with the horse three days earlier.
“He’s had two even gallops – on Saturday and today – and he’s not finished yet,” Cummings said.
“The temptation for any trainer who gets a horse that is very, very good is not to work the horse.
“But I have always been taught to the contrary of that. I suppose you could argue that it takes some nerve to do it but to me that’s normal.
“It’s not unlike a preparation we would have given So You Think at 2000 metres. In fact it’s the same.”
Leilani Lodge last won a Rosehill Guineas when Solar Circle was successful in 1990 and the stable’s near-misses include a second with Saintly in the memorable 1996 Guineas won by Octagonal.
Cummings said jockey Hugh Bowman’s belief in Hallowed Crown continuing an unbeaten autumn run at Rosehill was as strong as ever after he rode the three-year-old in the 1600m work gallop.
“He was very comfortable with the horse’s work this morning, very comfortable. And he’s extremely confident,” Cummings said.
The Guineas attracted 15 entries but Cummings said Ruling Dynasty would be saved for the Tulloch Stakes at Rosehill seven days later.
The New Zealand Derby winner and runner-up in Mongolian Khan and Volkstok’n’barrell respectively are entered to make their Australian debuts.
