Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The Thousand Guineas is a Group 1 race for 3-year-old fillies run at Caulfield under set-weights conditions.
The Australian equivalent of the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, the race is run over 1600 metres and was first contested in 1946, when Sweet Chime (Le Grand Duc {Fr}) was first home.
It was a Principal race until Graded at Group 1 in 1979.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Global Glamour (Star Witness) is the most recent filly to complete the G1 Flight S.-G1 Thousand Guineas double. She did that in 2016. Guelph (Exceed And Excel) achieved the feat in 2013, so too did Dashing Eagle (Danehill {USA}) in 1996. Other fillies to do the double are Goleen (Gosh) in 1984, Reveille (Star Kingdom {Ire}) in 1964 and Wenona Girl (Wilkes {Fr}) in 1960.
A number of fillies have won both the G1 Thousand Guineas and G1 VRC Oaks, including Miss Finland (Redoute’s Choice), Special Harmony (Spinning World {USA}), Magical Miss (Danehill {USA}), Northwood Plume (Military Plume {NZ}), Arborea (Imperial Prince {Ire}), Richfield Lady (NZ) (Grosvenor {NZ}), Tristanagh (Sir Tristram {Ire}, Rom’s Stiletto (Sharp Edge {Ire}), Brava Jeannie (NZ) (Battle-Waggon {GB}) and Toltrice (Matrice). This year, that task is just about impossible, with the Thousand Guineas moving to November 16, after the VRC Oaks (2500 metres).
Gallery: A selection of fillies who have won both the G1 Thousand Guineas and G1 VRC Oaks
Other notable winners include Flit (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), Atlantic Jewel (Fastnet Rock), Stay With Me (Street Cry {Ire}), Amicus (Fastnet Rock), Irish Lights (Fastnet Rock), Alinghi (Encosta De Lago), Azzurro (Bluebird {USA}), Whisked (Whiskey Road {USA}), Magic Flute (Adraan {GB}), Toy Show (Showdown {GB}) and Chicquita (Blank {GB}).
Legacies
The great Fastnet Rock has left an indelible mark on this race, siring three winners - Amicus in 2014, Atlantic Jewel in 2011 and Irish Lights in 2009.
Gallery: Fastnet Rock has sired three winners of the G1 Thousand Guineas
Fastnet Rock shades Redoute’s Choice for winners, but the former has more victories in the race as a damsire. Redoute’s Choice has produced two winners - Gallica in 2008 and Miss Finland in 2006, and he is the damsire of the 2019 winner Flit, the 2018 scorer Amphitrite (Sebring), the 2015 champion Stay With Me.
Encosta De Lago is also the sire of two winners - Mnemosyne in 2005 and Alinghi in 2004.
The 2013 heroine, Guelph, is by Exceed And Excel and he is also the damsire of last year’s winner Madame Pommery (No Nay Never {USA}).
The Zabeel (NZ) mare Regard produced back-to-back winners in 2011/12, with Atlantic Jewel and Commanding Jewel (Commands).
Stay With Me, who was victorious in 2015, is a daughter of the 2006 champion Miss Finland.
Champion jockey Damien Oliver has won the race five times. He registered his victory in 1992 on Azzurro. In 2003 he partnered Special Harmony, before adding a third the following year aboard Alinghi. In 2008, he scored with Gallica, then in 2012 he made it a quintet of triumphs on Commanding Jewel.
The legendary Bart Cummings won the race a record five times, starting in 1963 with Anna Rose (Coronation Boy {Ire}), who dead-heated with Heirloom (Rego {Ire}). His other triumphs were with Tristanagh in 1989, Richfield Lady in 1991, Dashing Eagle in 1996 and Magical Miss in 2001.
Lee Freedman boasts four wins - Azzurro in 1992, Northwood Plume (Military Plume {NZ}) in 1994, Special Harmony in 2003 and Alinghi in 2004.
John Hawkes also has four victories in the race - Toltrice in 1972, Shame (Scenic {Ire}) in 1995, Mnemosyne in 2005 and Yearning (Snitzel), in partnership with son Michael and Wayne, in 2021.
Trainer David Hayes, who is now based in Hong Kong, has lifted the trophy on three occasions. His first winner was Miss Finland, his second was Irish Lights, then in 2015 he teamed with Tom Dabernig to triumph with Stay With Me.
Top broodmares
A host of Thousand Guineas winners went on to become outstanding broodmares.
The inaugural victress, Sweet Chime, produced the 1963 VRC Oaks S. heroine Jingle Bells (Double Bore {GB}).
Chicquita, who was victorious in 1949, is the dam of the brilliant Eskimo Prince - a multiple stakes-winning son of Todman, as well as the 1958 Herbert Power H. victor King Nero (Empyrean {GB}).
Toltrice produced five stakes winners, including the 1980 G1 WATC Derby hero Seltrice (Selhurst {GB}).
In 1998, Riverina Charm (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) raced to Thousand Guineas glory, before throwing the stakes winners Paolino (NZ) (Housebuster {USA}) and Sarwatch (NZ) (Jetball).
The 1990 heroine, Whisked, produced three stakes winners, including the great Tie The Knot (Nassipour {USA}) - a winner of no less than 13 Group 1s.
Tie The Knot won 13 Group 1s | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Shame is the dam of the Group 3 scorer Demerit, who is now a Group 3-winning stallion.
Special Harmony produced the three-time Listed winner Little Surfer Girl (Encosta De Lago) and she herself has thrown the triple Group 1 heroine Fangirl (Sebring).
Mnemosyne is the dam of three stakes winners, including the elite-level scorer Impending, and he is now a Group 2-producing sire.
Irish Lights has produced the Group 2 victress Omei Sword (High Chaparral {Ire}) and she herself is the dam of the dual Group 3 winner Muramasa (Deep Impact {Jpn}).
Atlantic Jewel’s son Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is a Group 1 winner in Hong Kong.
Guelph has thrown two stakes winners, including the Group 2 victor Encryption, who is now a Group 2-producing stallion.
And Stay With Me has thrown the dual Listed victress Waltz On By (I Am Invincible).
This year’s field
Zoustar is the only sire with multiple runners in Saturday’s race; he has the Chris Waller-trained Joliestar and Mark Walker’s Zourion (NZ) - both for Brendan and Jo Lindsay of Cambridge Stud.
The Grahame Begg-trained Carina Queen will be looking to hand Fastnet Rock his fourth Thousand Guineas success. That filly is from Hot Augusta (NZ) and she herself is daughter of Zabeel. Fastnet Rock is also the damsire of two fillies - Joliestar and Vivy Air (Hellbent).
Gallery: A selection of runners in the 2023 G1 Thousand Guineas
Oliver’s final ride in this year will be aboard the Vibrant Sun (The Autumn Sun) for Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr.
The most expensive yearling is Zourion. Cambridge Stud paid Segenhoe Thoroughbreds $950,000 for her at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
