Robbie Laing says rivals will need to bring their A game to defeat Missrock
Sydney fillies may dominate betting on the Thousand Guineas at Caulfield, but trainer Robbie Laing says they will need to be on their A game to defeat Missrock.
The filly was the unlucky runner in her lead-up run in the Thousand Guineas Prelude and Laing is confident she will give the Group One race a shake on Saturday.
The Chris Waller-trained Foxplay is the $2.70 favourite ahead of Flight Stakes winner Global Glamour at $6 with Missrock, Whispering Brook and Harlow Gold sharing the next line at $11.
Laing sees barrier nine in Saturday’s 15 horse line-up over 1600m as ideal.
“It’s race seven and the inside will probably cut out,” Laing said.
“She’ll get back but probably won’t get back as far as she did in the Prelude.
“I don’t want to be over confident but she’s a really good filly and if she gets into the clear from the 300 (metres) they’ll want to be on their A game.”
Laing won his first Group One race in the 1983 Thousand Guineas with Perfect Bliss who went into the race at the fifth start of her preparation.
Missrock will be having her third run this campaign with Laing saying he would have liked to have run her in last week’s Edward Manifold Stakes.
“There’s a good argument with the Edward Manifold being run six days before that maybe the Thousand Guineas should be on Caulfield Cup day again,” Laing said.
“We couldn’t run in the Edward Manifold being six days apart, but it used to be the traditional lead-up.
“The Edward Manifold, two weeks into the Thousand Guineas, two weeks into the Wakeful. The way it is now it takes away the opportunity of winning the big three.”
Missrock had a hit-out at Cranbourne on Tuesday with Laing’s Caulfield Guineas contender So Si Bon.
“It was a very heavy track and she probably carried five kilograms more than him and he beat her probably a head, but it was good strong work,” Laing said.
“They both pulled up an absolute treat.”
Laing said Missrock had continued to put on muscle bulk throughout her preparation after returning from a winter spell light in condition.
Rival trainer Stuart Webb was happy with Legless Veuve’s barrier six.
Legless Veuve raced on the speed when she won the Thousand Guineas Prelude on September 24, but Webb said she did not have to lead.
“She sat outside Whispering Brook last time but she’s a very relaxed filly and could quite easily be a pair back if the speed up front is too hot,” he said.
