There is likely to be some singing and dancing from the owners of Sylvia’s Mother if she can win the Group One Coolmore Classic at Rosehill.
The Team Hawkes mare is raced by owner-breeders Rob and Pam Crosby and named after the hit 1970s song by Dr Hook & The Medicine Show.
Sylvia’s Mother will be one of two Coolmore runners for the Tamworth-based couple, along with last-start Guy Walter Stakes winner Dawn Dawn.
The Crosbys, whose main business is cattle, bred both mares and could not believe their luck when Sylvia’s Mother and Dawn Dawn each won stakes races in different states on the same afternoon two weeks ago to earn their Coolmore Classic (1500m) spots.
Co-trainer Michael Hawkes says Saturday cannot come quickly enough for the couple.
“I mentioned to Rob he might have two live chances and he said, ‘that’s good, we can run one-two’ and I said, ‘no, no, we’re going to dead-heat’,” Hawkes said.
“He started laughing so he’s pretty excited about it.
“They’re good people, he and his wife Pam, and they’re great to train for.”
Sylvia’s Mother did her early racing in Sydney and finished fifth to Nakeeta Jane in last year’s Light Fingers Stakes.
Since then the bulk of her form has been in Melbourne, including her two campaign starts which have yielded a brace of Group Three wins.
Both times she has settled midfield and finished strongly and Hawkes says her toughness and determination to win are qualities that will take her a long way.
“She is a bulldog and her last start was a very good win,” Hawkes said.
“She had to bullock her way out but he (Dwayne Dunn) rode her well. He half waited and kept her balanced and that enabled her to hit the line as good as she did.
“She’s a tough filly and she’s done everything right.”
Tommy Berry partners Sylvia’s Mother in the Coolmore Classic for which she was $4.40 equal favourite on Thursday with Brenton Avdulla aboard Dawn Dawn ($15).
The latter ran down the other Coolmore market leader, the John Thompson-trained Sweet Deal, to win the Guy Walter after two luckless runs in a benchmark race at Randwick and the Triscay Stakes.
Hawkes cannot fathom how his pair are so far apart in betting and says Dawn Dawn has continued to thrive.
“She’s a really good chance too,” he said.
“It was a great effort last start. She came from back and I think the ground is going to suit her, the distance will suit, home track advantage and she is just starting to hit form at the right time.”
Rosehill was a soft 7 on Thursday and Hawkes hoped it continued to dry out believing both mares were better on firmer ground despite having won in the wet.
