Stay With Me has emulated the efforts of her mother Miss Finland at Caulfield Racecourse this afternoon; completing a perfectly-timed performance for success in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m).
Stay With Me completed a perfectly-timed performance for success in the 2015 Thousand Guineas. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos
Jumping from the gates poorly, jockey Dwayne Dunn was forced to settle Stay With Me off the pace of early leaders Take Pride and Miss Gunpowder who flew the gates and charged forward; ensuring plenty of early tempo would be injected into the Thousand Guineas.
Rounding onto the straight on the fence and with plenty to do, Dunn was forced to wait momentarily until a passage between runners but was rewarded when the filly charged up the middle of the course; maintaining a strong enough sprint to withstand a late charge from Jameka and a brave Badawiya.
Dunn delivered a typically polished performance aboard Stay With Me in the 2015 Thousand Guineas and was thrilled to guide the daughter of Street Cry back into winning form following a hapless run in the Prelude event a fortnight ago.
“She just straight in the air at the start,” Dunn said.
“I just had to bite my tongue and go back inside and ride for luck and we know how good she is.
“I just had to switch her off which she did today because mid-race she got on the bridle a bit, but full class came out.
“I didn’t have many options. I walk a lot of tracks and it doesn’t seem like that inside should be off as bad as it is, but when I got to the middle of the track on the home straight the leader was always going to compound.
“Class rose to the top.”
David Hayes was thrilled with Stay With Me’s maiden Group 1 success in the 2015 Thousand Guineas, and revealed the team will see how the three-year-old comes through the run before settling on her next major target.
“I was critical of Dwayne two weeks ago but gee I’m thrilled with the way he rode her today, it was just a brilliant ride on a brilliant filly,” Hayes said.
“He peeled off. I’m not sure the fence is the place to be and I loved his poise peeling off the fence.
“We’ll have a team meeting, but we’ve won the Group 1 and that was the initial goal.
“She’ll be running at Flemington, whether it’s the Oaks or we might even look at a Mackinnon or a Myer Classic, we’ll see.”
Jameka continued her impressive and consistent form in her Group 1 debut this afternoon; flying home late and wide to finish a close second.
