Quality group of 3yos make up Royal Randwick Guineas nominations

A quality group of three year olds are among the nominations for the 2015 Group 1 $600,000 Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Hobartville Stakes winner Hallowed Crown is among the nominations for the Royal Randwick Guineas at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Hobartville Stakes winner Hallowed Crown is among the nominations for the Royal Randwick Guineas at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Four individual Group 1 winners, Hallowed Crown, Hampton Court, Preferment and Shooting To Win are among the thirteen early nominations for the Randwick three year old feature.

Group 1 placed Sweynesse and Scissor Kick as well as the promising Kermadec also add to the quality of the race.

But with only thirteen three year olds nominated, the Australian Turf Club has opted to extend nominations for the Royal Randwick Guineas to 11am on Tuesday March 3, 2015.

The Bart and James Cummings trained Hallowed Crown emerged as one the main chances for the Royal Randwick Guineas with a gutsy first up win over Sweynesse, Kermadec, Shooting To Win and Scissor Kick in the Group 2 $200,000 Blackwoods CRC Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on February 21.

There was less than two lengths between the first five placegetters and they are all certain to be fighting out finish again on Saturday.

Hallowed Crown also came out on top in the Spring when he beat Scissor Kick and Shooting To Win in the 2014 Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill and seems to have the wood on the other three year olds.

Shooting To Win then went to Melbourne for the remainder of his Spring Carnival campaign and took out the Group 1 $1m BECK Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 11.

Shooting To Win and the Chris Waller trained Kermadec are also nominated for the Group 1 $500,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday.

While Shooting To Win is likely to go around at Randwick, the Chris Waller trained Kermadec is favoured to run at Flemington.

Waller’s other Royal Randwick Guineas entry Preferment will be fitter for a first up eleventh in the Hobartville Stakes and will strip fitter on Saturday with his main Autumn Carnival goal being the Group 1 $2m BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 4.

Preferment showed his staying ability during the 2014 Melbourne Spring Carnival with a tough win in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington.

The Paul Messara trained Scissor Kick will be going into the Royal Randwick Guineas third up after winning the Group 3 $150,000 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on February 7 at his first run back before finishing fifth to Hallowed Crown in the Hobartville Stakes.

Sweynesse showed that he is in for a good Autumn Carnival campaign with an eye catching first up second in the Hobartville Stakes and will be perfectly suited by the step up to 1600m this week.

The in-form John O’Shea stable has also entered restricted class galloper Lassitude who will be stepping up from a second in a 1400m Randwick BenchMark 75 to Group 1 level.

Hampton Court from the Gai Waterhouse stable will also be fitter after finishing ninth in the Hobartville Stakes at his first run back this Autumn and will be returning to Randwick for the first time since winning the Group 1 $400,000 Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) during the 2014 Sydney Spring Carnival.

The rest of the Royal Randwick Guineas nominations are Diamond Valores, Merion, Rhodin Drive, Sworn To Silence and Testashadow.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.