Entries for the Group I Caulfield Guineas and Thousand Guineas have added plenty of interest to competitive metro maiden and Benchmark events which often feature potential contenders and while time is running out for them to make their mark in Guineas races this spring, it’s still a great guide for the future, as so let’s take a look at the runners today that hold entries.
Sandown race one and two hold plenty of potential. The 1300m colts and geldings maiden features the debut of Belardo (IRE) colt Lottwon, who won a trial impressively and was a $320,000 Inglis Ready 2 Race purchase for Trilogy Racing last year.
Interesting runner Yaki Ishi, who was third in the Group II VRC Sires Produce stakes last prep from three starts and has been gelded…. If there is one thing we know about the progeny of Maurice, it’s that they can benefit enormously from being gelded.
A $180,000 Inglis Premier purchase Yaki Ishi is a half-brother to ill-fated stakes-winner Burnstone from Group II winner Merlene de Lago , a daughter of Golden Slipper winner Merlene.
Plenty of nicely bred fillies in the girls division of the 1300m maiden but none more so than As Time Goes By, a Deep Impact filly from Group III winning Redoute’s Choice mare A Time for Julia.
She’s had one start for a fifth in a Black Type race in Adelaide last season and may well be looking for further as her dam is a half-sister to the dam of VRC Oaks winner Personal.
Warwick Farm also holds interest and has a couple of very intriguing fillies that are also entered for the Group I ATC Flight Stakes.
European blue-blood filly Zakiyya rattled home for third on the debut at Randwick last month and the Star Thoroughbreds owned daughter of Siyouni can only be improved. She has the sort of pedigree that makes people like me get excited as her grand-dam is a half-sister to European Horse of the Year Zarkava.
She is also bred on a very successful nick, Siyouni over daughters of Cape Cross has produced eight winners from 12 starters, but significantly, two of them are Group I winners – Champion Filly Laurens, who won six Group I races , and last weekend’s very impressive Group I Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Tahiyra.
The Benchmark 72 event later in the day will see unbeaten Astern filly Cinderella Days shooting for three wins in a row and the daughter of Group I ATC Coolmore Classic winner Ofcourseican, could easily keep up the good work
