Chris Waller’s perennial runner-up Hungry Heart heads the Thousand Guineas 2020 final field this weekend at Caulfield Racecourse looking to go one better than her second in last Saturday’s Group 1 Flight Stakes in Sydney.

Fourteen three-year-old fillies have been accepted for this Saturday’s edition of the Group 1 $1 million Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m), one of four elite levels on the Melbourne race card for Neds Caulfield Guineas Day.

Drawn a treat in gate three with Hugh Bowman coming aboard in place of James McDonald, Frankel filly Hungry Heart has been one of the spring’s spruik three-year-olds.

She remains winless since her Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes success back in February however having run third three times on the trot this prep throughout Sydney’s Princess Series of races.

The latest of those came just last weekend when she went down as the odds-on pop over the Randwick mile behind David Payne’s shock Flight Stakes winner Montefilia.

Waller now has her on the quick back-up heading south to Sydney for another shot at a Group 1 mile feature for fillies and she is sure to be a favourite in Thousand Guineas betting.

Waller chases his second Thousand Guineas success following the 2014 win by Amicus, which Bowman rode to victory.

Bowman meanwhile chases his third win in the mile feature and his second on the trot having guided the Godolphin-raced Flit (2019) to victory last year.

Flit’s trainer James Cummings returns on the weekend looking for back-to-back Thousand Guineas wins saddling-up another in-form filly on the seven-day turnaround, Thermosphere.

The nicely-bred daughter of Exosphere is drawn one closer to the fence in barrier two with Damian Lane retaining the ride after he guided her to victory in the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington last Saturday.

Amphitrite (2018) was the last filly to complete the Edward Manifold Stakes – Thousand Guineas double that Thermopshere attempts to emulate this weekend.

Lee Freedman with Special Harmony (2003) and Alinghi (2004) meanwhile was the last trainer to prepare consecutive Thousand Guineas winners.

The other headliner in the Thousand Guineas field this spring is the undefeated Adelaide raider Instant Celebrity for Phillip Stokes.

Craig Williams rides the flying daughter of Not A Single Doubt from wider out in gate nine, Instant Celebrity coming into the Group 1 with a perfect four-from-four career record.

She is yet to win over the mile but caught the eye in the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) on September 26 and is out to do the Prelude – Guineas double in the fillies’ event for the first time since Irish Lights (2009) over a decade ago.

Prelude runner-up Personal, best known for her Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes third as a juvenile, for Lindsay Park and the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained  Flight Stakes third placegetter are among the other standout acceptors.

Updated Thousand Guineas 2020 betting is set to re-open shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2020 Thousand Guineas Field

Table Credit: Racing Australia.