Two of the gun fillies accepted to take on the colts and geldings in this weekend’s Sunshine Coast Guineas 2017 field on Caloundra Cup Day have suffered an early blow drawing wide for the mile winter feature.
The Peter & Paul Snowden-trained colt Acatour is the highest-rated of the three-year-olds in Saturday’s 2017 Sunshine Coast Guineas field. Photo: Steve Hart.
Set to run as Caloundra Race 8 at 4:32pm (AEST) on Saturday afternoon, this season’s $125,000 Group 3 XXXX Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m) has attracted a capacity field of 18 three-year-olds plus four emergencies.
After a last start second to subsequent Tattersall’s Tiara placegetter Prompt Response in the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes (1350m) at Doomben, the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained My True Love is at the Sunshine Coast this weekend looking to further frank that lead-up form.
The flying daughter of Fastnet Rock however drew right out in barrier 20, which will become 17 at best without the emergencies getting a run.
My True Love was only a quarter-length beaten by her stablemate in the Brisbane Group 2 on Stradbroke Day and how she handles the step-up to a mile and the wide alley in the Guineas will be key to her chances of posting a fourth career win at start number nine.
Another class filly with work to do from out wide in the Sunshine Coast Guineas this Queensland Winter Racing Carnival is the Matthew Smith-trained Faraway Town.
The daughter of Not A Single Doubt may have won just one of her 16 starts to date, but she’s proven her ability in much tougher company including her Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) third to subsequent Cox Plate placegetter Yankee Rose at Randwick in April last year.
Over a mile in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes that same campaign, Faraway Town was only three lengths beaten by the winner Prized Icon and she’s been competitive in plenty since.
Earlier this year she ran second in the Group 3 Spring Stakes (1600m) and third to Dawn Wall in the Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m), while her latest two starts at Rosehill have both produced fourth place finishes over 1200m and 1400m respectively.
Faraway Town will relish getting back out to a mile this weekend and will be ridden by James Orman from gate 15 if the emergencies fail to gain a start.
The highest rated of this year’s Sunshine Coast Guineas acceptors meanwhile is the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Sebring colt Acatour.
Winner of the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) in the mud at Royal Randwick during April’s ‘The Championships’, the consistent miler was last seen running a first-up fifth when under a length beaten at Ipswich on June 17 in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes (1350m).
A mile second-up will be right up his alley and Acatour, to be ridden by Jeff Lloyd, will also appreciate getting back against his own age in Saturday’s Group 3.
One of the in-form Queensland locals in the mix is the well-drawn Matt Kropp-trained Atouchmore (barrier four) who chases a third win on the trot.
The Toowoomba galloper is proven at the distance and has previous winning form at the Sunshine Coast, but rises notably in class after a last start victory over 1625m at his home track in a Benchmark 70 on June 16.
Matthew Dunn’s Zamex coming off back-to-back Rosehill wins in June and the Chris Munce-trained Turffontein gelding Constantine, a winner of all but one of his five career starts to date, are also out to extend winning streaks with a Sunshine Coast Guineas triumph.
See below for the full Sunshine Coast Guineas 2017 field, barriers and jockeys with Caloundra Cup Day betting set to open shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au.
2017 Sunshine Coast Guineas Final Field & Barriers
Sunshine Coast Race 8 (4:32pm) – 01/07/2017
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Br. | Wgt. | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 135x7818x5 | ACATOUR | Peter & Paul Snowden | Jeff Lloyd | 13 | 57kg | 87 |
| 2 | 1225×30603 | RINGO’S A ROCKSTAR | Norm Stephens | Brad Stewart | 17 | 57kg | 77 |
| 3 | 111×14440 | CAERLESS CHOICE | Paul Messara | Robbie Fradd | 11 | 57kg | 77 |
| 4 | x42602x402 | CRACK ME UP (NZ) | Liam Birchley | Damian Browne | 14 | 57kg | 77 |
| 5 | 116×7211 | ZAMEX | Matthew Dunn | Jim Byrne | 2 | 57kg | 75 |
| 6 | 224x51x41 | FLOW | Darren Bean | Brad Pengelly | 10 | 57kg | 73 |
| 7 | 212×157411 | ATOUCHMORE | Matt Kropp | Micheal Hellyer | 4 | 57kg | 72 |
| 8 | 013x90x641 | ENDLESS DAYS | Peter & Will Hulbert | Matthew McGillivray (a) | 16 | 57kg | 70 |
| 9 | 0x11574 | TOP OF THE RANGE (NZ) | Michael Moroney | Michael Cahill | 19 | 57kg | 70 |
| 10 | 311×11 | CONSTANTINE | Chris Munce | Larry Cassidy | 7 | 57kg | 75 |
| 11 | x152231331 | ROTHABYE | Trevor Miller | Adam Sewell (a) | 21 | 57kg | 67 |
| 12 | 3948523×44 | FARAWAY TOWN | Matthew Smith | James Orman | 18 | 55kg | 78 |
| 13 | 31186×212 | MY TRUE LOVE | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Adam Hyeronimus | 20 | 55kg | 80 |
| 14 | 2513×31800 | SAVVAN (NZ) | James Cummings | Luke Dittman | 15 | 55kg | 73 |
| 15 | 3158333×45 | DONTPOKETHETIGER | Peter Rudkin | Leah Hemi | 6 | 55kg | 72 |
| 16 | 12×131 | MISS CHATTERING | David Vandyke | – | 12 | 55kg | 71 |
| 17 | 42×150 | MIA ROSA | Michael Moroney | Paul Hammersley | 9 | 55kg | 67 |
| 18 | 2310×63178 | LIPSTICK LOVER | Tony Gollan | – | 1 | 55kg | 68 |
| 19e | 64533×1131 | PARK CHINOIS | Kelly Schweida | Glen Colless | 8 | 57kg | 67 |
| 20e | 50×14412 | CHIEF JOSEPH | Kevin Kemp | – | 22 | 57kg | 66 |
| 21e | 3417×221 | SAVE THE DATE (NZ) | Lance Noble | – | 5 | 55kg | 69 |
| 22e | 960×458183 | WAKE UP VICTA | Lindsay Gough | – | 3 | 57kg | 59 |
