Golden Slipper hero Guest House smashed a 35-year hoodoo and broke a track record that has stood for nearly two decades in a sensational return to racing at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Guest House and jockey Zac Lloyd bravely forced their way through the narrowest of gaps near the inside rail in the straight before racing away with the Group 3 $250,000 San Domenico Stakes (1100m).
The giant colt with the $30 million price tag – and that is a conservative estimate on the evidence of his comeback win – is now likely to be aimed at an unprecedented Group 1 sprint treble of the $1 million Golden Rose (1400m), $20 million The TAB Everest (1200m) and $2 million Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m).
But if any three-year-old could potentially win the three feature sprints it is Guest House, who is not only big on stature, but he’s also big on ability.
Trainer Mick Price is in awe of both Guest House and his talented young jockey, Zac Lloyd.
“Amazing win by a very good horse,” Price said. “You might even think he has improved from his (Golden) Slipper to come out here over 1100m and do what he did.
“He had to race so genuine as Blue Door was holding the fence and Zac just owns these races, he comes out and writes his own story.
“I thought as long as the horse is running on I would be happy as the race did set up well for the favourite (Blue Door).
“I didn’t give Zac any instructions. I knew what I wanted and I asked him what he thought.
“He said one of two things will happen. If he bounces out I will go with him but if he takes 50-60m to get going I will ride a race.
“If I hear the right thing I don’t interfere – and I heard the right thing.”
Guest House ($7) settled in third position on the rails behind leader Blue Door ($1.95 favourite) into the straight when Lloyd asked his colt to barge his way through the inside of the front-running filly.
There was very little room for Guest House and the inside rail buckled under the pressure, but the colt showed admirable determination to force his way through then dash away to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths from Blue Door, who held on well for second, while Golden Slipper minor placegetter Music Time ($12) was a length away third.
The outstanding Guest House, a son of former crack sprinter Home Affairs, scored his third win (and two placings) from just five starts and rewrote racing history in the process, including:
Guest House became the first to complete the Golden Slipper-San Domenico double since Tierce in 1991.
He ran the Rosehill 1100m in a flying 1m 02.41s, which broke the track record of Westicaro of 1m 02.51s which had stood since 2007.
Guest House became the first Golden Slipper-winning colt or gelding to win as an older horse since Pierro in 2012.
Australian betting sites have firmed Guest House into $3 favouritism for the Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill on September 26 and promoted the colt to the third line of Everest betting at $13.
Coolmore Stud supremo Tom Magnier, a part-owner of Guest House, said the colt was now a prime candidate for their Everest slot.
“I came here today under the impression the 1100m would be a bit too short for him but he blew those expectations out of the water,” Magnier said.
“This wasn’t his end goal but to come here and win so well and break a track record, it is very exciting.”
Star young jockey Zac Lloyd, who rode a Rosehill treble including his wins on progressive stayer Aethelwulf and Epsom Handicap hopeful Althoff, said Guest House was good enough – and brave enough – to take the inside run in the straight.
“I knew at the 400m, the way he was coping with that speed, he was just ready to go,” Lloyd said.
“And I needed a run, but I knew I had a very good horse underneath me so I wasn’t rushing.
“Tommy (Berry on Blue Door) gave him just enough room, and those horses, you give them a message, they’re straight in there.
“It was fantastic, and he’s actually done that quite comfortably, a perfect first-time run for him.
“He’s a big, robust colt and he’s only going to get better with every run. For him to do that at 1100m, it’s very exciting.”
Price said Lloyd was on the right horse to take that narrow inside run.
“If you have the right motor and right horse it is a lot easier than if you are not on the bridle – gee, he’s a good colt,” Price said.
“I want him in the zone for the three races that makes a colt’s (stud) career.
“The Golden Rose, The Everest and the Coolmore – they are three races I want him to be in the zone.
“I thought 1100m was a bit short for him first-up, I did feel, but that is just how good he is.
“Someone said ‘could you win the Caulfield Guineas with this’ and that could happen but you can’t run him in everything.
“He’s just a gun colt and very happy that Coolmore have backed him – he’s just fantastic.”
