Caulfield Guineas winner Mighty Boss has been included in the final field for the Group 1 $1m Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Mighty Boss, above in yellow and red colours, has been included in the final field for the 2018 Australian Guineas at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Mighty Boss has had two tough runs at Caulfield at weight for age against the older horses for a seventh to Hartnell in the Group 1 $500,000 Ladbrokes C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) on February 10 followed by an eighth to Brave Smash in the Group 1 $500,000 italktravel Futurity Stakes (1400m) last Saturday.
Trainer Mick Price said that he would monitor Mighty Boss’s progress during the week before giving him the all clear to tackle the three year olds in the Australian Guineas.
“He has got to have a good week,” Price told the Herald Sun.
Regular rider Michael Walker will take the ride again on Mighty Boss who has drawn barrier two in the capacity sixteen horse field.
Price will also saddle up the well fancied Grunt who was out of luck at the barrier draw, coming up with gate seventeen in the original draw and looks likely to jump from the outside gate with first emergency Paret drawing eighteen and second emergency Mahalangur drawing four.
Damien Oliver will stick with Grunt after steering him to victory last start in the Group 3 $150,000 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on February 17 while Michael Dee will ride Price’s other runner Holy Snow who also drew poorly at barrier fourteen.
Holy Snow is also coming off a last start win with Dee in the saddle in the Group 2 $200,000 Hyland Race Colours Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 10.
Leading Victoria trainer Darren Weir will saddle up two runners in the Australian Guineas, Cliff’s Edge and Peaceful State, and both colts drew double digit barriers.
Cliff’s Edge drew barrier sixteen with John Allen to ride while Peaceful State drew slightly better at eleven for Brad Rawiller.
The two fillies in the Australian Guineas drew at the opposite ends of the starting gates with the Tony McEvoy trained Bring Me Roses to jump from the inside gate with Luke Currie to ride while Mark Zahra will need plenty of luck from barrier thirteen on the Thousand Guineas winner Aloisia.
Cliff’s Edge has been installed the $4.60 favourite for the Australian Guineas at Ladbrokes.com.au just ahead of Grunt at $6 and Aloisia at $7.50.
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