Guelph Headlines 2013 Crown Oaks Nominations

Champion two-year-old Guelph is one of 51 fillies that have been included in the initial nominations for the Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m) that will be run at Flemington on November 7.

Guelph

Guelph is one of 51 fillies that is a chance to contest the Crown Oaks. Photo by: Steve Hart

Guelph finished her juvenile campaign with back-to-back victories in the Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) and Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) and has returned as a three-year-old in similar form, storming home late to win the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

The daughter of Exceed And Excel will contest the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 5 before heading to Melbourne for the Thousand Guineas (1600) at Caulfield on October 16, with the Cox Plate (2040m) and Crown Oaks both options for later in the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival.

All the placegetters from the Tea Rose Stakes are a chance to contest the Crown Oaks, with runner-up Arabian Gold and third placegetter Bound For Earth, who beat Guelph in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m, amongst the initial nominations.

Another Thousand Guineas contender that has been included in the 2013 Crown Oaks nominations is David Hayes-trained Gregers who recorded her first victory at Group level in the Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Gregers stamped herself as an Oaks and Guineas contender with back-to-back wins in the Aquanas Foods Handicap (1000m) and Mitchelton Wines Plate (1200m) before losing no admirers when she finished fifth when taking on the colts in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m).

Hayes has five chances to win the Crown Oaks for the second time; with Bulbula, Harada Miss, Markazy and Star Fashion all included in the nominations.

Robert Smerdon-trained Politeness flashed home late to finish third behind Gregers in the Thousand Guineas Prelude indicating that she will be suited to the staying trip of the Crown Oaks.

Smerdon believes that the three-year-old has a great deal of natural talent but isn’t convinced that she will be able to run out the 2500 metres of the Oaks.

Other notable nominees include the undefeated Metaphorical, Anthony Cummings-trained Wordplay, unraced Brewing and Thousand Guineas Prelude runner-up Marianne.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.