Thousand Guineas favourite Guelph could be in line for a start in the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 26 if she comes through her Group 1 assignment against the fillies at Caulfield on Wednesday in fine order.
Guelph winning the G1 Flight Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Trainer Peter Snowden said that he would be content if Guelph was to win the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m), her main goal for the Spring, but added that he is so impressed with the way she has travelled down from Sydney that he is leaving the door ajar for Moonee Valley.
“We are no closer to a decision on a Cox Plate start for Guelph but I’ve always maintained she will have done her job for the spring if she wins the Thousand Guineas,” Snowden told the Daily Telegraph.
“She would have had four tough runs by then but I must say she has travelled well to Melbourne and looks in great order.
“But first things first, we have go to try and win Wednesday’s race.”
Guelph is the raging $1.40 favourite for the Thousand Guineas and has drawn barrier five in the nine horse field.
The Exceed And Excel filly has got the job done for Darley this Spring as she did in the Autumn and scored her third Group 1 victory in the $400,000 Coolmore Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 5.
That followed her two Group 1 wins in the Autumn as a two year old in the $500,000 Inglis Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) and the $400,000 Moet & Chandon 150th Champagne Stakes (1600m) both at Randwick.
Geulph has travelled down to Melbourne without a hitch and is fine order to take on the small field of fillies which includes last start winners, the David Hayes trained Gregers and Matt Laurie’s filly Se Sauver.
“She is in good order and hopefully everything goes to plan on Wednesday,” Snowden said.
“There is no such thing as a good thing in any race; racing is racing.”
“She is such a great filly to work with.
“Each run has been better than the run before and I feel that she is as good or better than last week.
“She has raced at Caulfield before, she has won there before and all things being equal she will be pretty hard to beat.”
Gregers ($11) is coming off a win in the Group 2 $175,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on September 21 while Se Sauver ($17) is also a last start Group 2 winner after taking out the $220,000 TAB Edward Manifold Stakes (1610m) at Flemington on October 5.
The only other runner under double figures is the Darren Weir trained May’s Dream who has been posted a $8.50 chance after winning against the fillies over 1400m at Caulfield on September 29.
Bookies have Guelph a $16 chance in the Cox Plate market order alongside of stablemate Long John whose place in the weight for age championship is also unconfirmed.
Mark Kavanagh’s super mare Atlantic Jewel heads the market order at $2.30 ahead of Fiorente at $5 and It’s A Dundeel at $6 with Puissance De Lune on the next line of betting at $9.
