Trainer Anthony Cummings is holding on to the slim hope short-priced favourite Guelph comes undone in Wednesday’s Thousand Guineas, recalling Sydney’s star filly ran the worst race of her career at Caulfield.
Cummings, who runs $15 chance Wordplay against the $1.40 favourite, reckons Guelph had a hard time of it when she finished ninth in the Blue Diamond in February at Caulfield.
“If she runs her best race she will probably beat us but the thing is, her worst race ever was at Caulfield … so it is back to the scene of the crime,” Cummings said.
While Cummings says Wordplay is in good form for the 1600m race, her main aim is the Group One VRC Oaks over 2500m next month.
“She may not be in Guelph’s class but just the same, she is probably better over a mile and a quarter, a mile and a half,” he said.
“That’s where she is headed and this is a nice stepping stone to that.”
The filly’s Oaks credentials are well found. She is a half-sister to the Cummings-trained Fiveandahalfstar, a surprise winner of the 2012 Victoria Derby who went on in the autumn to win the BMW.
Cummings said jockey Damien Oliver talked him out of running Wordplay over 2000m in the Ethereal Stakes on Saturday in preference to the Thousand Guineas.
“I’m happy to go with that – I’m just hoping she can get into a nice place,” he said.
He said Wordplay’s last-start fifth in the Edward Manifold Stakes was pleasing after she got too far back early to be effective but made her way through the traffic and kept working to the finish line.
“While the finishing position was further back than we expected, the run still had plenty of merit,” Cummings said.
Oliver has ridden Wordplay a number of times in trackwork and is comfortable with her.
He has won the race five times – on Commanding Jewel (2012), Gallica (2008), Alinghi (2004), Special Harmony (2003) and Azzurro (1992).
