Lightly-raced Written Tycoon filly Odeum from the local stables of Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr was far too good late with a superior performance in the 2020 Thousand Guineas results that saw the first six over the line all hail from Melbourne lead-ups.
Odeum scored an upset win with a dominant victory in the 2020 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The punters had backed Chris Waller’s Sydney raider Hungry Heart on the quick back-up from her Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) second last Saturday into favouritism for the Group 1 $1 million Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) in Melbourne, but she couldn’t match the locals looking very flat in the closing stages.
Instead the Caulfield Guineas Day act went the way of the on-the-up Odeum at double-figures, the filly having just her fourth career start and celebrating her third win.
She was eye-catching last start on September 19 saluting by 1.5 lengths at the track in a Black-Type over 1400m and easily handled the step-up to a mile with Michael Walker retaining the ride.
“I’ve never been this confident heading into a Group 1 before, I really thought she could win today,” Walker told the media post-win.
Walker gave Odeum a peach of a ride in the Group 1 making the front-runners work for their positions in the lead before sitting up on the pace box seating in third behind Vangelic and Night Raid.
With 800m to go, Flight Stakes placegetter Vaneglic strode out in front being left alone in the lead, while Hungry Heart was travelling in seventh already looking in trouble.
The field bunched closer approaching the turn, Vangelic going for home into the straight while the previously undefeated Phillip Stokes-trained Instant Celebrity started to wind-up down the outside coming from last.
It was Odeum flashing through however, the eventual winning getting out to an easy lead at the 200m and extending her winning margin over the final furlong in a dominant performance.
She was all clear and home going on to defeat Lindsay Park’s Personal buy one and three-quarter lengths, while the Prelude winner Instant Celebrity did well to run from last to third and round-out the Thousand Guineas trifecta.
It was a top training performance from Price and Kent who timed Odeum’s preparation to perfection.
“She’s a filly that’s just bloomed this whole preparation,” co-trainer Price said after the race.
Price celebrated his second win in the Thousand Guineas following on from Gallica in 2008 and the 2020 result was his first Group 1 success in partnership with Kent Jnr.
Last year’s Thousand Guineas winner Flit (2019) meanwhile franked the form in Sydney one race after Odeum’s Melbourne victory, taking out Randwick’s $500,000 Silver Eagle (1300m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Odeum could potentially be stretched over further this Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival for a race like the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Derby Day, October 31.
2020 Thousand Guineas Results
| Colour | Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
1 | 9 | ODEUM |
Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Michael Walker | 3 | 55.5kg | $9 | ||
 |
2 | 4 | PERSONAL | Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes | Damien Oliver | 1.75L | 7 | 55.5kg | $16 | |
 |
3 | 3 | INSTANT CELEBRITY | Phillip Stokes | Craig Williams | 1.95L | 8 | 55.5kg | $4.20 | |
 |
4 | 6 | ECUMENICAL | Mick Huxtable | John Allen | 2.7L | 12 | 55.5kg | $31 | |
 |
5 | 12 | AGREEABLE |
Anthony & Sam Freedman | Jamie Kah | 3.45L | 13 | 55.5kg | $31 | |
 |
6 | 2 | THERMOSPHERE | James Cummings | Damian Lane | 5.2L | 1 | 55.5kg | $16 | |
 |
7 | 1 | HUNGRY HEART |
Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 5.3L | 2 | 55.5kg | $2.60F | |
 |
8 | 10 | ROCK MY WAND | Matthew Smith | Luke Currie | 5.8L | 4 | 55.5kg | $41 | |
 |
9 | 11 | MOZZIE MONSTER | John Sadler | Jordan Childs | 5.9L | 10 | 55.5kg | $91 | |
 |
10 | 7 | AIDENSFIELD | Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes | Daniel Stackhouse | 6L | 6 | 55.5kg | $16 | |
 |
11 | 5 | VANGELIC | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Brett Prebble | 8.25L | 9 | 55.5kg | $10 | |
 |
12 | 8 | NIGHT RAID | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Mark Zahra | 8.55L | 11 | 55.5kg | $31 | |
 |
13 | 13 | LOVE SENSATION |
Kevin Corstens | Luke Nolen | 12.55L | 5 | 55.5kg | $71 | |
 |
14 | YOSEMITE (NZ) | Robbie Griffiths | William Pike | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
