The 2016 Royal Randwick Guineas field has been released and Press Statement is set to take on 12 rivals in the Group 1 event this weekend.
Press Statement is set to start the 2016 Royal Randwick Guineas as a dominant favourite. Photo by: Steve Hart
Press Statement laid claim to the title of the best three-year-old miler in Australia when he took out the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival and he solidified his position as a dominant Royal Randwick Guineas favourite with his very comfortable win in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on February 20.
The son of Hinchinbrook will jump from barrier 12 in the Royal Randwick Guineas, but he has the services of Hugh Bowman and the leading hoop is confident that Press Statement will produce an improved performance this weekend.
The Hobartville Stakes is set to be the key form refence for the Royal Randwick Guineas and Le Romain (barrier eight), Montaigne (barrier three), Dal Cielo (barrier seven), Balmain Boy (barrier four), Etymology (barrier nine) and Shards (barrier two) will all have the opportunity to turn-the-tables on the dominant favourite.
One of the most interesting runners in the 2016 Royal Randwick Guineas field is Lindsay Park-trained Stay With Me, who is set to take on the boys for the first time as a three-year-old.
Stay With Me (barrier five) took out the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival and she has found the line strongly without winning in both the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on February 13 and the Group 2 Surround Stakes (1400m) at the same venue on February 27.
Another interesting runner in the Royal Randwick Guineas is the lightly-rated Data Point, who is set to have just his fourth race start in the Group 1 event.
Data Point (barrier 13) made his racing debut with a narrow win at Cranbourne on August 23 and he finished second in both the Ladbrokes Bet Better Handicap (1300m) at Ladbrokes Park on February 3 and the Polytrack Handicap (1400m) at the same venue on February 17.
Mike Moroney has included Tulsa in the Royal Randwick Guineas field, but the High Chaparral colt is set to remain in Melbourne after he received a start in the 2016 Australian Guineas field.
The 2016 Royal Randwick Guineas field is rounded out by Bjorn Baker-trained Gold Ambition (barrier ten) and the lightly-raced Mackintosh (barrier 11).
