Trainer Tony McEvoy thinks his filly Oohood has a great chance of breaking the hoodoo of a filly winning the Group 1 $2m Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m).
Oohood, above with blue cap and black blinkers, will take on the colts and geldings in the 2018 Caulfield Guineas at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.
Oohood is the only filly lining up against the colts and geldings in Saturday’s Group 1 contest for the three year olds at Caulfield and if she is successful will be the first filly since the mighty Surround achieved the feat in 1976.
Oohood broke through for her maiden win when she got the judge’s decision in a four way photo finish in the Group 1 $500,000 Darley Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on September 29.
McEvoy had the option of lining Oohood up against the fillies again in the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday but said after the Flight Stakes win that he was not afraid to take on the colts and geldings again after being very competitive against them at Group 1 level during her two year old year.
Oohood was Group 1 placed on three occasions during the 2018 Autumn Carnival as a juvenile with a third in the $1.5m Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield, a second in the $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill and a second in the $1m Inglis Sires’ (1400m) at Randwick .
‘If you look at the autumn, excepting the Blue Diamond (won by Written By, who is not in the Guineas) and the Brisbane winter carnival, the fillies were equal or better,” McEvoy told The Age.
”This filly was very competitive against the colts, and I think she’s got better.”
‘I am gambling on the favourite not getting around Caulfield and he is a get-back style of horse.”
”My filly is peaking, her coat is gleaming, she’s so bright and so well and I think the two kilos she gets off the colts could be very significant.
”Barrier six is pretty good, we don’t want to drift too far in. She gets back a little anyway.”
“The Autumn Sun is just inside her so we can keep an eye on him.
”I wouldn’t swap my filly for any of the colts, and I think she’s ready for a peak performance. I am very happy with her.”
Oohood has drawn barrier six with Luke Currie in the saddle.
The Chris Waller trained The Autumn Sun is coming off a spectacular last to first win in the Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on September 22 and is the ruling $1.90 Caulfield Guineas favourite with Ladbrokes.com.au while Oohood is marked as a $9.50 chance.
In between The Autumn Sun and Oohood in the betting is the Darren Weir trained pair of Native Soldier at $6.50 and Leonardo Da Hinchi at $8.50.
