1000 Guineas
Ganglord comes from stall1 and simsters6’s daughter of Devil’s bag looks to have a bright chance here. She’s one of the most lightly raced of these, with only five runs under her belt thus far, but three of those have resulted in wins including the 6f Eric Guerin Equinics race which is about as good a three year old seasonal debut as any trainer could ask of their charge. That was on an off track, but she seems to have handled firm just as well in her other four starts. Jockey Bo Edwards should be able to pick his position from the inside rail and is likely to track the pace from mid division before letting her make her move as they come into the dip. She holds both Super Gold and Benefactress on previous form and would surely be a good thing but for a couple of very slight doubts. One is that all her wins have come at sprint distances, although with so few runs that is hardly surprising, and the other is whether the lack of racecourse experience may tell in the hustle and bustle of a big field. Both of these questions are minor ones, she ran a nice third of ten posting a 91 SF in her only try over today’s trip and the19 runner equinics field didn’t exactly phase her, facts which have led the betting public to put her in as 9/1 third best on the morning line. All in all she should give all connected with her a great run with a great chance of adding to her almost $700,000 career earnings.
The occupant of stall 2 is hard to weigh up accurately. Benefactress would be strongly fancied for this on her two year old form, and has not been disgraced this year without really hitting the heights. Hornedfrog’s Generous filly seemed to have trained on impressively when comfortably winning the group 3 Broadside Stakes over today’s trip with a fantastic finishing burst posting a 91 SF in the process. Her trainer must have thought the sky was the limit, but her subsequent four outings have been solid, without impressing. Admittedly she was only beaten a head into third in the Intercontinental mile, and is matched to dead heat with Peyragudes on that run and there was certainly something amiss with her next run. Jockey I Benjamin will be hoping to settle her off a strong pace and bring her with her customary late surge, and if she comes here fully wound up after returning from that poor run two back, she could find the race set up to suit. She’s 10/1 to make it seven wins from twelve, and add to the $400,000 plus she’s already banked, and would probably be a shorter price if it wasn’t for the troubled preparation.
Next up is one of our joint favourites according to the great betting public. Limpid’s Peyragudes has won seven of her eleven starts thus far and comes here in good form. By Unbridled’s Song out of an El Prado mare, she was bred to be a bit tasty and hasn’t let her trainer down. She won four out of five as a two year old, but has really sprung to life since turning three, winning three stakes including a group 3 last time out and finishing close up on her other three starts. As previously stated, she finished a nostril behind Benefactress in a ding-dong four way battle for the GIII Intercontinental mile three back, but has since shown by far the better form of the two, posting good times in two good group races the last of which she won very comfortably. Whether she is value to turn over that narrow defeat at half the odds is debatable, but there is no denying that she is flying. She will be one of the likely pacesetters and D Harvey will be hoping to repel all who attempt to challenge up the straight.
Next up in stall 4 is jsimpson’s Green Dessert bred filly Chop Never Stops. She is very inexperienced in terms of the number of races won, but when you have won and finished second in Group 1 races on your last two starts, maybe inexperienced is not the right word. She holds Tenacious V on their last run when they were first and second in the Group 1 How are you gentlemen cup, but since there was only a head between them that day, it is safe to assume they will not exactly be miles apart today. I suppose it could be argued that this filly should come on more for the run, as it was only her fifth ever and third this year, and her trainer has definitely left plenty to work with in the way this likeable filly has been steadily brought on. Another who likes to run on the bunny, it will be interesting to see how she fares against Peyragudes on her inside, but she will certainly not fail because I Weinman had her in the wrong place at the wrong time. Whether the 10/1 shot can see off the pace runners and hold off the late challengers remains to be seen.
Super Gold comes next from stall 5, and is rather surprisingly an 11/1 shot which looks value. Super20’s Seeking the Gold filly is already a millionaire in earnings and boasts 8 wins from 11 starts, a more than reasonable return on what was obviously an expensive mating. It is arguable that her form as a three year old has tailed off a little from that of her 2yo days, but when a horse wins three G1 races and boasts a 6 from 7 strike rate, almost anything is going to be slightly disappointing. That said she was second in the Equinics which is no small feat and was close enough to Ganglord there to have a chance of reversing form, though it’s not certain. It will be interesting to see what tactics J Bradley adopts here as she tended to run on the pace, and right away from her field as a two year old, but seems to have run a little more conservatively at three. If bouncing back to her 2yo form, this striking filly would be home and hosed, but on the balance of her form this year, she still has a bit to prove here.
In stall 6 is Thomkal’s Three to Eight, a daughter of Congaree and by far the most successful offspring of her dam, Eight Shelly who was a useful race mare. She has picked up 4 races from her 14 starts thus far and had a bust two year old season running 11 times. Her trainer has taken things more steadily this year however, only running the filly three times which have resulted in two seconds and a nice win in the
Getting it comes from stall 7 and is the 29/1 outsider of the field. Peter12’s daughter of Dynaformer out of a Seattle Slew mare is not one to write off immediately however, and could run a big race here at a huge price. She was distanced in the Intercontinental mile behind two of this field, but her shrewd trainer has given her time to come back from that and reports that the horse has been eating up recently and shows no ill effects from the injury.On the balance of her form, especially given that she switched to turf a lot later than many of these, she would have a great chance. Only ¾ of a length behind Chop Never Stops when they were second and third in the Group1 Train Yard Special, she is nearly three times the price of that rival here. Another who will definitely see out the trip, I Jones will probably try to hold a position mid pack before winding up his charge for a strong, long run which he hopes will add to her record of 3 wins from 8 starts.
Cannot Comply is another strong contender from the Super empire. The daughter of Rahy out of Queen Mambo was in the shadow of her more illustrious compatriot, Super Gold, as a two year old, but has stepped up her form considerably this year running an eye-catching 97 sp when winning the Senior April stakes in a canter last time out. Her only two previous forays into group class have ended in defeat, but the filly seemed to take a while to really find her feet at two (despite an impressive record of 5 wins from 7 starts) and looks to be following the same pattern this year. That being the case L Anderson could be sitting on a lot of horse here, as she wouldn’t need to show much improvement on that last run to figure very prominently here. Another who is likely to race just off the pace, the 7/1 chance looks certain to put in a big run and her trainer will be hoping she adds to the $450,000 bankroll she has amassed so far.
Aly’s Chant comes next and kobras2’s War Chant filly is a 17/1 shot. Another late developer, she took a while to break her duck as a two year old but seems to be the type to progress this year. This is a huge step up in class for the likeable filly, but while it may well find her out, she deserves to take her chance based on her runs this year. She is another who likes to race on the bunny, and jockey A Tuscha will want to get a good break to enable them to get a good position from a tricky draw. On the balance of her form this is probably just beyond her at this stage of her career, but one thing is for sure, the game little lady will try her heart out, and who knows, dreams sometimes come true. She seems unlikely to add to her record of 3 wins from 9 starts, but whatever happens, she is certain to come on in leaps and bounds.
Carson Touch from the holychow stable comes out of stall 10 and this well bred daughter of Zabeel certainly deserves to take her chance here despite her form having tailed off a little this year. At first glance a record of two wins from twelve starts is hardly what is required for a group 1 race, but closer inspection reveals some very solid form in the top 2yo turf races. She is very closely matched with Tenacious V and Super Gold on two year old form but does seem to have a heart breaking habit of finding one too good in the top races. A Holohan will probably keep his charge up with the pace, and as usual, she is certain to give her all here since she never loses through lack of trying. Whether she is quite as good this year as last remains in some doubt, but 15/1 is a big price if she does bounce back.
Malindi is in stall 11 and escapade’s daughter of A P Indy comes here undefeated in seven starts since switching to turf. That impressive resume includes three group wins and she also looks to have been laid out for this, with a perfect preparation race last time out when being dropped to allowance company for a freshener. She seems to have something in hand of several of these on this years running, although as mentioned previously, you could throw a blanket over the first 4 in the Intercontinental mile she won two back. That said P Riggs will probably feel confident that his mount will have a little more to come and there doesn’t seem to be the slight questions that hang over several of these. 5/1 joint favourite for the race, she looks to be worthily at the head of the market and may prove hard to beat today.
Tenacious V is the top ranked of these and deservedly so. Since winning an allowance when switched to turf last year, peeps4’s daughter of Vindication has raced at the very highest level, and proved to be right up there with the best. Winner of the Storm Dog handicap on Del Penn champions day, and only beaten a length when 4th in the Breeders Bowl juvenile fillies turf she was absolutely top class at two. Her trainer must have worried that she hadn’t trained on when she was beaten comfortably in the Japan Racing Association on her seasonal bow, but she proved that wasn’t the case when second in the Equinics in front of several of today’s runners. Subsequently beaten a head by Chop Never Stops in the How are you Gentleman cup she comes here in good form and fresher than many of these. Jockey A Craig will be hoping that her powerhouse finish can get her to the line in front of these and any backers who agree will be rewarded with odds of 7/1. Victory here would put her into the millionaires club, although its fair to say that this game filly owes her trainer nothing.
Pay no attention from stall 13 could make life difficult for anyone tempted to overlook her due to her big price of 22/1. Simsters1’s filly was not far off the top as a two year old, with a couple of group 1 seconds to her name as well as two nice stakes wins. That said, the daughter of
Brucie Bonus is on the outside of the field in stall 14, but with 5 wins from 10 starts, is no outsider here at 10/1. Beefcake4’s filly has failed to get her head in front this year though, and is held on form by a couple of these. Her last run was particularly disappointing, and her trainer will be hoping that it was a false run, and that we can instead expect the sort of run which saw her run Malindi close in the Salsabil stakes. She undoubtedly has ability, but the slight question mark is over what she beat at two as most of her wins came in small fields. That said, she could only beat what was against her and if getting back to that form she may have a chance, providing the hurly burly of a bigger field and better class doesn’t phase her too much. Jockey B Beaton will be hoping that the Rainbow Quest filly can hold a good position early and keep her nose in front up the straight.
Well, that’s the field for the first English fillies classic of the season, and a damn good one it is too. I’ll take Tenacious V to beat Malindi with Chop Never Stops for third. It will be interesting to see whether any of these lovely ladies are reckoned to get a shot at the Oaks a little later in the year.