The nominations for the 2011 Australian Guineas field have been announced with 165 runners currently vying for a spot in the 16 horse final field. The Group 1 Australian Guineas is for three-year-old horses and is run at set weights over 1600m at Flemington on March 5 2011.

In the past the Australian Guineas has been run on Felmington’s Super Saturday, which this year will be held on March 12 2001, but the the decision was made to move the Guineas to the first saturday of March. This has meant that the Australian Guineas will not run on the same day as the Randwick Guineas in Sydney, which is also a set-weights race for three-year-olds over 1600m. This decision has seen an increase in the number of Sydney trainers nominating horses for the 2011 Australian Guineas and the total nominations are up from 97 last year to 165 in 2011.

Gai Waterhouse has 10 horses nominated for the 2011 Australian Guineas, lead by filly More Strawberries. Bart Cummings, who won the 2010 Australian Guineas with Rock Classic, has 10 horse nominated for the 2011 race including Goldstone, Cosmonaut and Kudakalari. Peter Snowden has 11 entries this year headlined by Skilled, Retrieve and filly Parables.

Other trainers to feature prominently in the nominations include Peter Moody with a total of 13 entries, John Thompson with 7, Anthony Cummings with 11 and Chris Waller has colts Pressday and Slater leading his 4 nominations.

Horses that are sure to figure towards the top of the 2011 Australian Guineas betting markets are Peter Moody’s Caulfield Guineas winner Anacheeva, Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Star Witness, trained by Danny O’Brien, and Golden Slipper winner Crystal Lily, trained by Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra.

The final field of 16 acceptances will be announced on March 3 2011.

2011 Australian Guineas Nominations