Scratchings Update: #3 Osipenko (13) and #10 Lindermann (14) have both been scratched from the Waller stable in favour of a run in Randwick’s Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) in Sydney.

Jacquinot will officially chase a third straight win this prep when the smart colt returns to his own age in the Australian Guineas 2023 field at Flemington on Saturday.

Star colt Jacquinot if favourite to post his third win on the trot this campaign in Saturday’s 2023 Australian Guineas. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The spring’s Golden Rose winning son of Rubick was strong fresh with a big weight narrowly winning the Group 3 Manfred Stakes (1300m) before taking on the older horses in the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) a fortnight back.

There he was second past the post before a successful protest against Gentleman Roy saw him elevated to the winners’ stall.

He now heads to headquarters third-up and fit this weekend chasing another elite level Melbourne success in the Group 1 $1 million Australian Guineas (1600m).

The Australian Guineas field is currently at capacity and features the sole emergency Japanese Emperor (8) who comes in for the early scratching Osipenko (13).

Chris Waller’s Group 2 Hobartville Stakes winner instead stays in Sydney chasing a double lining-up in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) on the same day at Randwick.

Jacquinot is drawn barrier 11 with Damian Lane continuing associations and heads Australian Guineas betting at a short $2.25 and firming through Ladbrokes.com.au.

This will be his first go at a mile and he will be out to atone for his only other Flemington run to date when ninth to the filly In Secret from barrier 16 of 17 in last October’s Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m).

Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) launch a three-pronged attack on the Australian Guineas with the favourite joined by stablemates Amenable ($12), second fresh in the Group 2 Autumn Stakes, in barrier one and Maximillius ($26) in gate three.

The danger occupying the second line of betting at $6.50 is the also in-form Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Dundeel colt Elliptical.

Elliptical was huge in the spring running second at big odds behind Golden Mile in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) and second again to Sharp ‘N’ Smart in Randwick’s Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) over further.

There was nothing in the finish in either event and he was far from disgraced against the older runners at Flemington when running a mid-field seventh to Zaaki in the Group 1 VRC Champions Stakes (2000m) over the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Fresh the three-year-old was good at the track winning the Group 3 CS Hayes (1400m) before his return to Group 1 racing on Saturday.

Elliptical, drawn barrier two with Blake Shinn in the saddle, is out to become the first horse to do the CS Hayes – Australian Guineas double since Alligator Blood (2020).

Despite the size of the field just two other runners are currently at single-figure Australian Guineas odds with Attrition ($8.50) and Legarto ($9.50) drawn well in gates seven and nine respectively.

Mitchell Freedman’s Churchill colt Attrition was fifth in a blanket finish to the CS Hayes only a half-length beaten in his first Group assignment.

He was good there and can improve off that should he run here with Jamie Kah aboard and not in the Randwick Guineas where he is drawn barrier one with Craig Williams booked.

Legarto could be the value in Melbourne with the Ken & Bev Kelso-trained Proisir filly racing down under for the first time.

The visiting Kiwi is a five-time winner from six starts including her big five length success last November in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m).

She is two-from-three over a mile so has the advantage over some of these being proven at the distance, and Blue Diamond winning jockey Michael Dee jumps on here.

Ciaron Maher & David Eustace won the race last year with Hitotsu and chasing back-to-back wins represented this autumn by Autumn Stakes third place-getter The Fortune Teller ($27) and their CS Hayes runner-up Holymanz ($20) drawn beside each other in gates six and five respectively.

The 2023 Australian Guineas is set to run as Flemington Race 7 at 4:20pm (AEDT) with the latest markets available from Ladbrokes.com.au by clicking here.

2023 Australian Guineas Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.