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Saintly Dancer Demolishes Edward Manifold Stakes Field, Thousand Guineas Beckons
Saintly Dancer has catapulted herself into 2026 Thousand Guineas calculations with a breathtaking six-length romp in Saturday’s Group 2 $300,000 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington, producing one of the most dominant performances by a three-year-old filly this spring.
The talented daughter of St Mark’s Basilica turned a competitive Edward Manifold into a one-horse affair relishing the Heavy (10) Flemington track and giving trainer Ciaron Maher another genuine Group 1 contender ahead of the upcoming $1.5 million Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 17.
Starting at $6.50, Saintly Dancer settled comfortably in front under jockey Ethan Brown after finding the lead with ease. From there, the filly travelled sweetly throughout before accelerating sharply turning for home and quickly putting the race beyond doubt. She powered away to score by a commanding six lengths over Joely, with Beautiful You a further 3¼ lengths away in third.
The winning time of 1:38.60 only told part of the story, with the visual dominance of the victory leaving punters and connections alike excited about what may come next.
Maher admitted he expected a strong showing from the lightly-framed filly but was stunned by the manner of the win.
“She’s a light filly. She is fit and well and I didn’t think she’d do that to them but, God, that was impressive,” Maher told Racing Victoria post-victory.
“She looked really comfortable in the run and Ethan had her in a lovely rhythm.
“The team have done a great job up at Ballarat. She doesn’t carry a lot of weight but she seems to do better up there.”
The victory continued Saintly Dancer’s rapid rise through the ranks. After opening her career with a runner-up finish on debut at Geelong, she broke through for her maiden win at Sandown before stepping up to black-type company.
She announced her Group race credentials with a second placing in the Thousand Guineas Prelude at Caulfield last start, but few could have predicted the devastation she would inflict on her rivals at Flemington.
Maher revealed the stable had been weighing up whether to target the Thousand Guineas but Saturday’s performance may have ended any debate.
“First Light, they’ve got another really nice chance heading to the (Thousand) Guineas,” he said.
“I was in two minds whether to go there but if there is a bit of juice in the track, you’d seriously have to consider it on the back of that.”
The champion trainer said the race unfolded exactly as hoped after instructions were given for Brown to take advantage of the filly’s natural speed.
“We were keen to go forward, and I didn’t tie him down too much,” Maher explained.
“He found the top pretty easy and when she turned into the straight you knew she had a nice kick in her and gee she was dominant.”
Maher also highlighted the depth of his three-year-old filly team for the spring majors.
“Platinum Pearl, I thought was good the other day. This filly and Over The Bridge,” he said.
Brown was equally impressed with the filly’s performance and believes her best distances are still ahead of her.
“She is certainly going to eat up every bit of 2000 (metres),” the winning hoop said.
“Up to the mile today, she broke really well. She’s quite electric early. I had to work with her at the 200 just to get her back and she pricked her ears.
“She got an easy lead. Inside of the track is no issue. We were able to kick away and Ciaron had her extremely fit for the heavy track today and she proved she’s on an upward trajectory.”
The jockey also noted the filly’s quirky personality, something that has not stopped her from delivering on race day.
“She’s got a bit of a mind of her own. She was whipping around on me before the race and playing around but as soon as the gates opened, the job was on and she won quite convincingly,” he said.
Saintly Dancer’s emphatic victory has had an immediate impact on futures markets, with the filly firming dramatically in 2026 Thousand Guineas betting at Ladbrokes from $26 into $6, elevating her to second favouritism for the Group 1 feature on Caulfield Cup Day.
Thousand Guineas 2026 Odds
| 1. Regal Ambition | ||
| 2. Global Goal | ||
| 3. Saintly Dancer | ||
| 4. Over The Bridge | ||
| 5. Pretty Baby |
Amphitrite (2018) was the last filly to complete the Edward Manifold Stakes – Thousand Guineas double.
Given the authority of her Flemington triumph, the upward trajectory Brown spoke of appears very real. If Saintly Dancer can reproduce anything close to Saturday’s performance over the Caulfield mile in a fortnight, she shapes as one of the major dangers in what is looming as a fascinating renewal of the Thousand Guineas.
For now, however, the spotlight belongs firmly to Saintly Dancer, whose explosive Edward Manifold Stakes victory announced her arrival as a genuine spring carnival star and a filly capable of making her mark at the elite level.
