Unsurprisingly Peter Snowden’s triple Group 1 winning filly Guelph has opened odds-on favourite to make it an elite level quartet when she takes on her own kind again this time in Wednesday’s 2013 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield Racecourse.
Guelph has opened odds-on to win Wednesday's Thousand Guineas 2013. Photo: Steve Hart.
After enjoying the $1 million Group 1 Caulfield Guineas win with his short-priced favourite Long John on the weekend, Darley Australia’s head trainer Snowden returns to the track four days later looking to do it again in the fillies’ edition.
Running as Caulfield Race 6 at 3:40pm (AEST) this year’s $500,000 Group 1 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) features a field of nine three-year-old fillies, Guelph leading the markets at a short $1.40.
Drawn in gate five with Kerrin McEvoy to ride the daughter of Exceed And Excel was last seen posting her sixth win from 10 starts, and third at Group 1 level, in the Flight Stakes over the Randwick mile.
While she hasn’t raced in Melbourne since a ninth to Miracles Of Life in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) as a juvenile back in February, she’s up to the mile here and has improved leaps and bounds since then.
“She is just an amazing filly,” Snowden told The Age.
“She arrived in Melbourne and Paul [son of Snowden and Melbourne stable manager] said she looks even stronger.
“She has been through a Blue Diamond preparation and a Golden Slipper preparation and won the Sires’ and the Champagne. She is as good and probably better now and just keeps thriving.”
There is just one of Guelph’s brave rivals also under double figures in the Thousand Guineas odds then with $8.50 second elect May’s Dream.
Set to jump from a lovely barrier three draw with Nicholas Hall in the saddle the Darren Weir-trained New Approach filly is a daughter of former Melbourne Cup runner-up She’s Archie and comes off a win over the 1400m at Caulfield from September 29.
The next best in Thousand Guineas betting paying $11 to score an upset is then another last-start winner, the David Hayes-trained Gregers.
The Commands filly has won four from six so far, including three from four this time in, and goes up to the mile for the first time here.
A brave fourth in the Blue Diamond as a two-year-old she held on in a tight finish at Caulfield last start to win the Group 2 Schweppes Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) on a Slow (6) and will appreciate a firmer track on the weekend.
Other notable hopes at even better prices then include Flight Stakes third placed Bound For Earth ($13) who defeated Guelph first-up in the Furious Stakes, and Se Sauver ($17) in gate four who beat them home in the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes over the Flemington mile on October 5.
See below for the full Thousand Guineas 2013 odds, prices available to lock in now online at Ladbrokes.com.au who are offering double the fixed win odds on the Caulfield Cup this Saturday!
2013 Thousand Guineas Odds
Caulfield Race 6 – 3:40pm (AEST) – 16/10/2013
| # | Horse (Barrier) | Odds* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GUELPH (5) | 1.40 |
| 2 | GREGERS (2) | 11.00 |
| 3 | BOUND FOR EARTH (7) | 13.00 |
| 4 | SE SAUVER (4) | 17.00 |
| 5 | MAY’S DREAM (3) | 8.50 |
| 6 | GODIVA ROCK (9) | 51.00 |
| 7 | MIRACLE TO ME (8) | 41.00 |
| 8 | WORDPLAY (6) | 21.00 |
| 9 | GYPSY DIAMOND (1) | 51.00 |
*Fixed Win odds provided by Ladbrokes.com.au and subject to change
