Taken from its UK Newmarket equivalent, the Thousand Guineas gives the fillies a chance at their own G1 mile glory.
Despite the race being at that mile, it usually provides a significant guide to the Oaks run over a further 900m. Take a glance at the prodigious young ladies.
• 2006 – MISS FINLAND 3f (Redoute's Choice x Forest Pearl) ($1.90 fav)
Miss Finland just defeated her stable mate on the line Photo by Bronwen Healy Having said Alinghi had shown she came back well from her 2yo season, here we had the ultimate 5L heroine from the Slipper. But while very good McNeil and Prelude wins started her campaign, it all went haywire in the Edward Manifold. From the wide gate that day, Craig Williams sent her forward but she took off down by the Maribynong River establishing a massive lead. While eventually only going under by a length to She Will Be Loved, questions were raised about both the ride and what it meant for the filly. The Thousand Guineas would resolve those issues. Stablemate Permaiscuous used the same tactics, leading by 8L at the 1000. Consequently Miss Finland changed her strategy by going back to last. While others didn't quite handle the situation, Williams stayed calm, bringing the big girl wide and late, confidently nabbing Permaiscuous in the last bound as Oliver nearly pinched it. Needless to say connections could oh so have wished for a regular jockey to coax her in the Cox Plate instead of the lightweight hoop applied. With Williams back on she cleaned up in the Oaks. DID THE OAKS WINNER START – YES (Miss Finland 1st).
• 2007 – SERIOUS SPEED 3f (Royal Academy x Twitter) ($16)
Jockey: Danny Nikolic, Trainer: Leon Macdonald
Barrier: 10, Weight: 55.5kg
Gross Time: 1:36.37, 600m Sectional: 35.06
Margin: 2.5L, Track: Good, Starters: 14
2nd: Extension of Time (55.5kg), 3rd: Antarctic Miss (55.5kg)
Timeform Rating: 116
Serious Speed won the EI affected running Photo by Racing and Sports It seems there is a model for riding the Thousand Guineas winner. Many G1s in Australia are dominated by needing to be on the pace but so many recent victors have come from back in the field. Here again Serious Speed followed the lead. She had been running well in Adelaide lead ups before a rattling finish in the Manifold. However punters still sent her out at good odds. Despite an early charge, the pace slowed at the 1000 and with Nikolic second last, he needed a blazing ending. Entering the straight and with horses stretched across the track, Serious Speed was pulled the widest, unleashing the required sprint to collar those inside. Some of these Guineas end up as weak fields but in hindsight there was Absolut Glam (Winter Stks), Riva San (QTC Derby & Oaks), Zarita (SA Derby & Australasian Oaks) and Serious Speed herself who beat the boys in the Hobartville. While she ran 2nd in the Oaks, one doubts staying was her go. DID THE OAKS WINNER START – NO (Arapaho Miss).
Gallica gave Mick Price another Caulfield G1 Photo by Racing and Sports It was a highly competitive but maybe not high quality Guineas. With the best filly of them all heading to the Cox Plate in Samantha Miss, the rest were left to fight it out for the G1. To be fair Gallica was in tremendous form. She'd won her previous 3 including the Manifold which is the traditional mile lead up race. As well Oliver and Price were on a hot streak so what was going to get in their way? Damien rode her forward to sit one by one with Cats Whisker leading. In a fairly boring race, he pulled her out at the 500m and hit the front on the turn. They all stayed in the same formation basically except for Glowlamp running her usual honest race into 3rd place inside runners. Price would tip her out and win an Australasian Oaks in March as a result. DID THE OAKS WINNER START – NO (Samantha Miss).
• 2009 – IRISH LIGHTS 3f (Fastnet Rock x Aspen Falls) ($3.50 fav)
Jockey: Glen Boss, Trainer: David Hayes
Barrier: 8, Weight: 55.5kg
Gross Time: 1:38.38, 600m Sectional: 35.33
Margin: 0.4L, Track: Good, Starters: 14
2nd: Melito (55.5kg), 3rd: Faint Perfume (55.5kg)
Timeform Rating: 115
Irish Lights won in easy fashion in 2009 Photo by Racing and Sports This was a strange race. Often in these big miles at Caulfield, even if age restricted, they are run at some speed. Well on a good track this was a trot really. And the race was brilliantly summed by Glen Boss on the favourite. Irish Lights had brought in commanding form, winning down the straight then the Prelude here over who would turn out to be good fillies from the Moody stable. Maybe the bookies read it the same, thinking she'd get back in a slowly run race, because they took a set against her. But Boss simply got her to settle outside the lead, no one made a move, Melito got trapped wide and it was home for the rent money. In the end the best run in the race came from a Cummings filly flashing home for the third in a sign of things to come. In truth it was a touch boring but do you think the owners cared one bit? DID THE OAKS WINNER START – YES (Faint Perfume 3rd).
Yosei won courtesy of a great Michelle Payne ride Photo by Racing and Sports It is hard to believe but by season's end little Yosei had won the most G1s of the Aussie 3yos combining their two and three year old age majors. The middle peg of the three was her Thousand Guineas triumph. She had won the AJC Sires so we knew her ability was there against this age bracket. After Melbourne runs, then a quick trip to Randwick for the Flight Stks, she was back at home. An affected track was no hindrance and drawing in again was a benefit from the mile. The conditions caused some issues and the well backed More Strawberries was out wide and back in no woman's land. Heartsareforlove and Brazilian Pulse took it up and those covering ground had no hope. Just as the leaders were being heralded the likely ones, Payne got up the fence, then three off in the straight and burned away by two lengths. She had a strange old Oaks prep going WFA in the Myer then 900m further five days later. DID THE OAKS WINNER START – YES (Brazilian Pulse 3rd).
RACE PROFILE
o Nearly all the recent Thousand Guineas winning fillies have been ridden off the pace, coming with one sustained run, except in '09.
o Despite both races being G1s and a natural progression, Dashing Eagle was the last Flight Stks winner to win the Guineas. Before that it was Goleen in 1984.
o Last 10 Years Winningest Barrier Range <5-8> - 4 times
o Last 10 Winners Average Price of winner – $7
o Last 10 Years Quezette Stks / 1000 Guineas double – Alinghi ('04)
o Last 10 Years McNeil Stks / 1000 Guineas double – Miss Finland ('06)
o Last 10 Years 1000 Guineas Prelude / 1000 Guineas double – Irish Lights ('09), Miss Finland ('06)
o Last 10 Years Ascot Vale / 1000 Guineas double – Alinghi ('06)
o Last 10 Years Edward Manifold / 1000 Guineas double – Gallica ('08), Alinghi ('04), Special Harmony ('03)
o Last 10 Years Silver Shadow Stks / 1000 Guineas double – Mnemosyne ('05)
o Last 10 Years Furious Stks / 1000 Guineas double – Mnemosyne ('05)
o Last 10 Years Tea Rose Stks / 1000 Guineas double – Mnemosyne ('05)
o Last 10 Years Blue Diamond Stks / 1000 Guineas double – Alinghi ('04)
o Last 10 Years Golden Slipper Stks / 1000 Guineas double – Miss Finland ('06)
o Last 10 Years AJC Sires Produce / 1000 Guineas double – Yosei ('10)
SUMMARY & SELECTIONS
There are good fillies in this but truly it is a two horse race or even one some would say. Indeed the betting boards are saying as much.
Atlantic Jewel looks a star of the future Photo by Racing and Sports
Mosheen looks to race forward like she did in the Edward Manifold as should Celebrity Girl with Cute Emily kicking up. Atlantic Jewel might race closer this time from the nice gate.
This fav has looked good every time improving her rating up in distance. While she is yet to race in a stakes race, it's only semantics.
Fastnet Rocks might not be big milers but the Zabeel influence on the female line should be good enough for the class to tell.
Mosheen showed her best form when dominating from the front in the Manifold. Surely she does it again and the wide draw should mean she rolls over again.
Like the way she put a margin on them at Flemington and have to doubt any of those behind her that day could do it again with the race setting up not dissimilarly.
Sharnee Rose goes around for the fourth time this prep and while still a maiden, has not missed a place.
She has run into Atlantic Jewel twice and despite being unlikely to turn the tables, she should run honestly again with the strength from the dam side getting her home hard.
