Exciting filly She’s A Fox will take the next step towards a berth in the $1 million Golden Rose when she lines up at Warwick Farm on Saturday.
A sister to Group One winner Foxwedge, She’s A Fox is one of several Anthony Cummings-trained three-year-olds being aimed at the first Group One race of the Sydney spring.
She underlined her credentials as a Golden Rose contender with a resounding victory at Warwick Farm last month and can confirm that status with a similar effort in the Listed Rosebud (1200m), one of the lead-up races to the feature.
“She pulled up really well from her win,” said Cummings, who is in Darwin for the Cup carnival.
“She goes to the Rosebud next week and she’s in pretty good shape.”
Connections are still weighing up who will ride She’s A Fox with the weight she is allocated in the Rosebud likely to be a major factor.
Hugh Bowman partnered her to her debut victory in the autumn while Peter Robl has ridden her at her remaining two starts, including her most recent victory when Bowman was taking a short holiday.
“First things first, it’s a matter of whether she gets a weight he (Bowman) can ride at so we’ll just go from there,” Cummings said.
She’s A Fox is one of several horses Cummings’ is aiming towards the Golden Rose.
He also has winter find Your Song and two-time city winner Ninth Legion being targeted at the race but the paths they take to get there will be determined after they run in barrier trials next week.
Ninth Legion won a Randwick trial last Monday, and while Cummings thought about stepping him out at Canterbury on Saturday he decided his charge needed more time.
“We had him in on Saturday and thought about that but it was just going to come a bit quick for him so we elected to wait, give him another trial and go to one of the lead-ups to the Golden Rose from there,” Cummings said.
Your Song has just returned to the stables after a short break and had his first piece of fast work on the weekend.
“He will probably have a trial on Monday week as well, and from there we can make a decision about those two horses.”
Group One runner-up All Too Hard is a likely entry for the Rosebud but co-trainer John Hawke says he is an unlikely starter and his Golden Rose lead-ups will depend on where the firmer tracks are, Sydney or Melbourne.
The Golden Rose (1400m) is at Rosehill on September 15.