The Godolphin stable of James Cummings heads into Saturday's Group III Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Rosehill sitting on pocket aces.
Cummings will saddle up the two favourites, $2.60 chance Astoria and $3.50 second elect Sanctioned.
The Gloaming Stakes has proved a successful spring launching pad for the Cummings family with grandfather Bart winning the race on three occasions, the last time being in 2009 with champion colt So You Think and James heads into the race with Bart's words ringing in his ears.
"Bart used to have 20 three-year-olds out in front of him at the trainer's hut and would say 'these are all my Derby colts'," Cummings said. "They're Derby colts until they say they're not."
Sanctioned heads into Saturday's set weights contest "with the right form" according to his trainer who expects further improvement from the colt.
"The Gloaming's the right race for a horse like him coming through the Stan Fox," he said.
"He's been racing against Gold Standard, Addictive Nature and Dracarys.
"He's a Teofilo stepping out third-up on Saturday at 1800m with the right man (Hugh Bowman) aboard to switch him off and get into a lovely rhythm so there's a lot to like. He's on an upward spiral."
Astoria has a vastly different profile, being on a one-week back-up having won last Friday's Group III Spring Stakes (1600m) at Newcastle.
"It was a surging win in the Spring Stakes and I'd expect another run of similar proportions on the eight-day back-up," Cummings said. "I think he's got more to offer.
"He's progressing well and will be close to the pick of the yard on Saturday. He's a horse in a great place at the moment."
Cummings said he expects both horses to run well on Saturday from favourable draws but they are hard to line up coming out of differing form lines.
"If you'd asked me a week ago I'd have said Sanctioned is the pick but with Astoria improving rapidly and on the eight-day back-up, this is a flip of a coin job," he said.
"Importantly, Saturday's going to set both horses up with a strong foundation for races like the Spring Champion Stakes."
