Proven Caulfield Group 1 winning filly Catchy is the three-year-old to beat in Sunday’s 2017 Thousand Guineas Prelude field on way to a possible clash against the colts and geldings.
Catchy is short in 2017 Thousand Guineas betting at Caulfield Racecourse on Sunday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
As a two-year-old the Lindsay Park-trained daughter of Fastnet Rock won her opening four career starts including the Group 1 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m).
A subsequent Golden Slipper failure in the wet followed in Sydney, before she was defeated first-up when second as the beaten $2.05 favourite at Caulfield in in the Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m).
Catchy returned to winning form down the Flemington straight a fortnight ago in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) against the boys and returns to her own kind on Underwood Stakes Day.
She is one of nine three-year-old fillies engaged for Caulfield Race 5 at 3:00pm (AEST) on NRL Grand Final Day, drawn a treat in barrier four in the Group 2 $200,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m).
Under the set weights plus penalties conditions of the race Catchy carries top kilos with 58.5kg, but is still considered the one to beat dominating Thousand Guineas Prelude odds at $2.05 through Ladbrokes.com.au.
She did the Blue Diamond Prelude – Blue Diamond Stakes double in the autumn and following this weekend will return in a fortnight in either the Group 1 $500,000 Thousand Guineas (1600m) or the Group 1 $2 million Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m).
Occupying the second line of Thousand Guineas Prelude betting for this Sunday at $4.80 and firming is the consistent Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra-trained daughter of Written Tycoon, Booker.
Booker was runner-up behind Merchant Navy in the Group 3 HDF McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield two back before her third when under a length beaten in the Danehill Stakes.
She looks set to appreciate the return to the Caulfield track and meets Catchy better in the weights getting in on 55kg with Dwayne Dunn to ride from barrier eight.
A further three fillies are under $10 for the win including the undefeated Anthony Freedman-trained Shoals ($7).
She has saluted in all four of her starts to date, including a win over Formality from the autumn in the Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m).
Yet to race at Caulfield, Shoals was last seen saluting at Moonee Valley in the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m) and how she handles the roomier track will be key to her keeping the unbeaten record intact.
Rounding out the single-figure fancies looks to make their way into the 2017 Thousand Guineas field on October 14 are She’s So High ($8) and Limestone ($9.50) drawn in barriers one and two respectively.
Untapped I Am Invincible filly She’s So High is prepared by gun trainer of youngsters Mick Price, the filly having run fourth in the Quezette Stakes and third in the Atlantic Jewel this time in.
Limestone meanwhile had a disastrous last trip to the races, the Darren Weir-trained grey daughter of Helmet falling in the Danehill Stakes.
She has come through the setback without injury however and is looking to return to her best form, which included the Blue Diamond Fillies Preview win here in late January and the second to Catchy in the Blue Diamond Prelude beaten a nose as a two-year-old.
Check out the full Thousand Guineas Prelude 2017 field, barriers, jockeys and latest Fixed Win odds provided by Ladbrokes.com.au below.
