Lindsay Park’s Blue Diamond Stakes winning filly Catchy will take on the colts and geldings this weekend as part of a capacity Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas 2017 field.

Catchy is the only filly in the 2017 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas field this weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

A full 16 starters plus a single emergency in the Mick Price-trained Mighty Boss are engaged for this season’s Group 1 $2 million Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m) and Catchy is the only filly in the mix.

The daughter of Fastnet Rock has won five of her eight career starts to date, most notably the Group 1 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at the Caulfield track as a two-year-old.

Her only unplaced run was a dead last (16^th) behind She Will Reign in Sydney’s Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) on a mud track in the autumn.

Catchy has had three runs this time in, including a second-up win over the boys in Flemington’s Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m).

The David Hayes-led Lindsay Park operation opted to run her back against the colts and geldings this weekend despite Catchy running third in the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) as the beaten favourite last time out on October 1.

Hayes is after his third Caulfield Guineas win and his first since St. Covet (1994), while Catchy is out to be the first filly to win the race since Surround (1976).

Only five fillies in history have taken out the Caulfield Guineas with Surround preceded by: Dual Choice (1970), Storm Queen (1966), Lady Sybil (1960) and Wiggle (1958).

Favourite in Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas betting this spring is the Tony McEvoy-trained Royal Symphony who is out to atone after suffering his first career loss last time out.

The Domesday colt enjoyed four wins on the trot before his Caulfield debut when fourth to Perast in the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m).

Four of the past eight Caulfield Guineas winners came off a run in the Prelude, with the only one of those not to have finished top three being Starspangledbanner (4^th in 2009).

Favourites in Caulfield Guineas betting have won three times in the past six years.

Paul Perry’s Prelude winner Perast is also engaged for Saturday’s Group 1, the Snitzel colt having scored the upset in the traditional lead-up on the back of a seventh in Sydney’s Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m).

Helmet (2011) was the last horse to complete the Caulfield Guineas Prelude – Caulfield Guineas double that Perast chases this weekend.

The other best out of the Prelude backing up in the spring major on Saturday are the Kiwi-trained runner-up Summer Passage and the Godolphin-raced third placegetter Kementari.

Jockey Glen Boss is after his first Guineas win since success on God’s Own back in 2005 and partners the New Zealander Summer Passage on Saturday.

A Group 1 winner across the Tasman as a juvenile, the Snitzel colt was also runner-up in Randwick’s Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) in Sydney in the autumn defeating subsequent Golden Rose winner Trapeze Artist (3^rd).

He finished eighth to Catchy in the Danehill Stakes two back, unsuited to the ‘Straight Six’ at Flemington, before his second in the Prelude.

Kementari is one of two James Cummings-trained hopefuls in the Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas field along with Sanctioned who finished fourth in the Prelude.

Damian Lane rides Lonhro colt Kementari, while Glyn Schofield is on Sanctioned.

Other key Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas acceptors include Team Hawkes’ last start Group 2 Stutt Stakes winner over the Moonee Valley mile Showtime and Gold Standard coming straight off a Golden Rose fourth.

Before that Group 1, Gold Standard won Rosehill’s Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m), a race that produced last year’s Caulfield Guineas winner Divine Prophet (2^nd in 2016).

Check out the official Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas 2017 Field below, the barrier draw and updated odds at Ladbrokes.com.au to follow shortly.

2017 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas Final Field

Caulfield Racecourse – 14/10/2017