2018 Australian Guineas Day Results: Grunt wins the Australian Guineas

A full field off sixteen three year olds will line up in the 2018 Group 1 $1m Australian Guineas over 1600m at Flemington today. Trainer Darren Weir will saddle up the Ladbrokes.com.au $4.80 favourite Cliff’s Edge as well as the $10 chance Peaceful State. Trainer Mick Price will have three runners with Grunt the shortest in the betting at $6 ahead of Mighty Boss at $11 and Holy Snow at $19.

The Australian Guineas has a strong support program on the nine race card and we will be covering the results for the entire day’s racing at races.com.au.

2018 Australian Guineas Day Results

Race 1 (12:45pm) $120,000 Listed 2yo Stakes (1000m)

Nomothaj, above, wins the 2yo Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

The Lindsay Park trained Nomothaj scored her second win over the 1000m down the Flemington Straight with a professional performance to win the Football Stakes for the two year olds. Winning jockey Mark Zahra had Nomothaj ($3.40 favourite) in the firing line in the pack that came down the middle of the straight and held on to record a neck win over Irukandji ($11) with Virtual Insanity ($10) in third position.

1st – Nomothaj
2nd – Irukandji
3rd – Virtual Insanity

Race 2 (1:20pm) $120,000 Listed Roy Higgins Quality (2600m)

Aloft, above, wins the Roy Higgins Quality at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Noted stayer Aloft was able to out sprint his opposition over the concluding stages in a leisurely run race to take out the Listed Roy Higgins Quality over 2600m. Ben Thompson set the slow pace on Eaton before Ben Melham made his move on Aloft ($3.50) approaching the home turn and proved too strong in the run to the line. Runner up Fanatic ($4.60), who had to pass a pre-race vet check behind the barriers, tried hard in the straight to claim second with Ormito ($4.80) coming from last for third.

The $3.30 favourite Double Bluff raced up on the pace but faded in the straight to beat one runner home in the six horse field.

1st – Aloft
2nd – Fanatic
3rd – Ormito

Race 3 (1:55pm) $100,000 Mitty’s BenchMark 84 Handicap (1100m)

Hear The Chant was able to provide the Lindsay Park Team with an early Flemington double with her win in the Mitty’s Handicap. Hear The Chant ($3.20 favourite) raced on the pace before surging clear at the 200m mark and then held off the challengers on Fragonard ($4.40) and Essence of Terror ($6)

1st – Hear The Chant
2nd – Fragonard
3rd – Essence Of Terror

Race 4 (2:30pm) $150,000 Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m)

The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Flippant ($3.30) fought her way back into the winner’s circle with a gutsy win in the Frances Tressady Stakes. Flippant sat just behind the leader before Damian Laane let her slide to the front on the home turn and she was able to hold out all the way down the long Flemington straight. The $2.70 favourite Oregon’s Day raced midfield and tried hard in the straight but failed by a long neck to overhaul the winner with Soho Ruby ($7) running home for third.

1st – Flippant
2nd – Oregon’s Day
3rd – Soho Ruby

Race 5 (3:10pm) $120,000 BenchMark 70 Handicap (2000m)

Luke Nolen combined with the Colin Little trained Big Sur ($8) to score a decisive win in the BenchMark 70 Handicap over 2000m. Nolen settled Big Sur in the second half of the field and brought the four year old with a storming run down the middle of the track to score a three lengths win over Big Pat’s Pontiac ($15) and Wannon Warrior ($21).

The $4 favourite Mahalangur raced in fifth position through the race and after pushing through a tight opening in the straight, couldn’t sustain the run and faded to finish midfield.

1st – Big Sur
2nd – Big Pat’s Pontiac
3rd – Wannon Warrior

Race 6 (3:50pm) $150,000 Autumn Handicap (1400m)

The Anthony Freedman trained Nozomi scored an upset win in the Autumn Handicap at the good odds of $20. Nozomi was having his first run back since running eighth in the Group 3 $150,000 Eclipse Stakes (1800m) on the Ladbrokes Park Hillside track at Sandown on November 18 and proved to be too strong for Violate ($8) and Cool Chap ($14). Poetic Charm started the $2.50 favourite but after challenging for the front at the 200m wound up in fifth position.

1st – Nozomi
2nd – Violate
3rd – Cool Chap

Race 7 (4:30pm) $1m Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m)

Damien Oliver produced a superb ride to win the Australian Guineas on Grunt ($5.50). Oliver positioned the Mick Price trained colt midfield and brought him with a well-timed run in the straight to down Peaceful State ($8.50) by half a length with Bring Me Roses ($21) in third spot.

The Darren Weir trained Cliff’s Edge was sent out as the $4.60 favourite but after skipping away to a three lengths lead in the straight folded late to finish seventh.

1st – Grunt
2nd – Peaceful State
3rd – Bring Me Roses

Race 8 (5:10pm) $120,000 Listed Bob Hoysted Handicap (1000m)

Another daring ride form Damien Oliver on the Mick Price trained Secret Agenda saw the Australian Guineas winning combination take out the Bob Hoysted Handicap. Oliver had settled Secret Agenda ($6.50) in the second half of the field before pushing through the middle of the pack to score in a head bobbing finish. Runner up I’m Wesley ($15) went down by a nose while Crystal Dreamer ($4.60 was one length away in third spot.

1st – Secret Agenda
2nd – I’m Wesley
3rd – Crystal Dreamer

Race 9 (5:45pm) $120,000 Saintly Handicap (1400m)

The Tony McEvoy trained Scarecrow kept the punters happy by taking out the last race on the nine event Australian Guineas program. Luke Currie settled Scarecrow ($3.80 favourite) in the middle of the pack and burst through late to score a decisive win over Muraahib ($31) and Indernile ($17)