Trainer Clinton McDonald is confident Tahni Dancer can give the favourites in Saturday’s Group 1 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) a good contest.

The filly is available at a price of $15 in the 2014 Thousand Guineas odds at Ladbrokes.com.au as she steps up to 1600m for the first time, after being kept to 1200m for her three spring campaign starts.

McDonald is confident Tahni Dancer has had the right amount of preparation to deliver a win in Saturday’s fillies feature of Caulfield Guineas Day.

“She has stepped away slowly over six (furlongs, 1200m), but that has been in a fast-run six,” McDonald told Sky Racing.

“So over the mile we’re hoping we can sort of land a little bit closer to give her the opportunity to be closer to strike.

“She’s a real live hope. She’s going really good.”

Tahni Dancer finished third to Guineas rival Afleet Esprit her first time out before winning a maiden at Cranbourne in September. She then finished nicely from the back of the field in the Group 3 Champagne Classic (1200m) at Moonee Valley, coming second to the speedy Eloping.

Afleet Esprit, winner of her last three starts, is $5 second-favourite for the race along with Go Indy Go, who has already won a Group One over the Thousand Guineas distance after taking out the Champagne Stakes as a two-year-old.

McDonald elected to keep his filly on the rise at 1200m last start in a bid to keep her sharp for the Guineas.

“She’s a filly that hasn’t had a lot of hard racing and we’ve had no hiccups along the way, which is a big thing coming into these races,” he said.

“She’s always been a quality filly that has shown us that she’s black-type class. She gets her chance on Saturday to show it.”

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