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Camperdown trainer Simon Mahony is hoping for a big 41st birthday celebration this weekend.
He'll celebrate his birthday on Friday before he saddles up Sunshine Dancer at Saturday's Camperdown Cup where he may bid to win the feature race for the first time.
“I've never had a runner in the Cup, but I've nominated her for three races and we'll see which one suits her best,” Mahony said.
“Everyone wants to win their hometown cup but it is even just as great to win a race at this meeting.
“She raced well last start and finished the race off well at Stawell, but I'll be putting her in the right race that I think she can win.”
Mahony trains a small team of five horses at Camperdown, with most owned by his family.
He won a race at the annual meeting last year when Pre Determined posted his fifth career win.
He was preparing Secret Seal specifically for the Camperdown Cup before the 8YO gelding strained a tendon just two weeks ago.
Instead, the Mahony-owned Sunshine Dancer could be carrying the stable flag and she'll be carrying more than that on race day.
A 4YO mare Mahony described as difficult and highly strung, last spring Sunshine Dancer was sent to stud and is now in foal to Hemingway.
“Once you get on her back, she is pretty hot. I thought sending her to stud and getting in foal might have calmed her down a bit,” Mahony said.
“This will be her last campaign I think. She probably has another month or two in which she'll be able to race.”
By Honours List out of Assuring, Sunshine Dancer started her career in Bairnsdale in the stables of Julie Scott where she had four unplaced runs.
In her nine starts with Mahony, Sunshine Dancer has posted a win at Casterton and had two placings.