Nigel Austin, jockey Stephen Baster and Anthony Mithen after Runaway's Geelong Cup win (Image: Racing Photos)
The looming busy weekend of racing has the potential to be one of the most significant in Rosemont Stud's history, with runners in the two Victorian Group 1s along with a number of key runners by a banner stallion.
But it was going to be a special weekend no matter what.
The first of the weekend's features - Friday night's $1 million Group 1 Moir Stakes at The Valley - coincides with the 50th birthday of Nigel Austin.
Rosemont has Brooklyn Hustle in the 1000-metre weight-for-age sprint and Anthony Mithen, who runs the family operation with Austin, left no doubt what the birthday wish is.
"My brother-in-law and partner in Rosemont Stud, Nigel Austin, he turns 50 today and we've got a runner in a Group 1 race tonight for Nige and a Group 1 runner in the Underwood tomorrow," Mithen said.
"Surely there's a bit of birthday luck for one of the good guys, who's been great for me, great for Rosemont and great for racing, to invest as much as he has in the sport."
Victory would be special for not only seeing the Jason Warren and Dean Krongold-trained mare carry the Rosemont colours to victory, but also for the value it would add to the daughter of Starspangledbanner.
On debut the four-year-old claimed the scalp of Yes Yes Yes, winner of last year's The Everest, but her only other success was a recent Benchmark 78 win, also at The Valley.
WATCH: Brooklyn Hustle's Valley win
"She's not yet a Stakes winner and we're asking her to break her Stakes duck in a high-pressure 1000-metre dash around Moonee Valley and that's not lost on us, but nonetheless, she has shown she's got that sort of ability," Mithen said.
"We thought about whether to go Friday night or Saturday in the Listed Testa Rossa, but it's a Group 1 over 1000 metres and there's not that many of them and that looks to be a recipe that suits her, obviously, having won a couple of times around The Valley over 1000 in impressive style.
"Hopefully she can show us that explosive turn of foot over the last furlong off that fast speed and get over the top of them."
Brooklyn Hustle, who will be ridden by Mark Zahra, is a $16 chance in Sportsbet's market, which is headed by Fabergino at $4.20.
Rosemont has other interest in Friday night's meeting through Ironedge and Swats That, products of Rosemont stallion Shamus Award, who go around in the G2 Stutt Stakes and G3 Scarborough Stakes respectively.
Shamus Award also has leading Caulfield Guineas fancy Flying Award in Saturday's G3 Guineas Prelude (1400m), but his biggest result could come in the G1 Underwood Stakes (1800m).
The Cox Plate winner is the sire of Mr Quickie, who Austin famously increased his share in after dreaming the then yearling would win the Cox Plate.
Mithen is hoping he can cement a spot in Australasia's weight-for-age championship with Underwood victory and the four-week gap between runs, following an eye-catching second placing in the G1 Memsie Stakes, is considered advantageous for the Phillip Stokes-trained gelding.
WATCH: Mr Quickie's Memsie Stakes run
"I think that spacing between runs, giving him that chance to just go light on him after he had a tough run like he did in the Memsie, will help," he said.
"The form from the Memsie is holding up - a second to Behemoth suddenly looks pretty strong - and it was over an unsuitable trip.
"He's up to 1800 now and you can definitely make a case for him and the bookies and the punters have made a case for him.
"If that formula works and he runs well tomorrow we'd probably be taking a ticket in the Cox Plate."
Mr Quickie, a $9.50 chance, occupies the third line of betting in Sportsbet's Underwood Stakes market behind Russian Camelot ($1.95) and Arcadia Queen ($4.80).