A wide barrier won’t affect the chances of the front running Lady Cosmology in the Group 2 $500,000 Sky Racing W.A. Guineas (1600m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday.
Trainer Darren Weir, above, will saddle up Junipal in the W.A. Guineas at Ascot in Perth. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Lady Cosmology has drawn barrier thirteen in the sixteen horse W.A. Guineas field plus two emergencies, but trainer Simon Miller said the filly’s brilliant gate speed will see her cross over and take up a forward position in the short run to the first corner.
“That gate won’t worry her, she is so quick out she can make her own luck. She has drawn wide and won before or has just got beaten,” Miller told Sky Racing’s Racing HQ.
Regular rider Paul Harvey will be back aboard Lady Cosmology who will be backing up week to week after finishing second to Arcadia Queen in last Saturday’s Group 3 $200,000 W.A. Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) at Ascot.
Miller has no concerns about Lady Cosmology’s quick back up, but has a healthy respect for the Grant and Alana Williams trained, Bob Peters owned, Arcadia Queen who will be hard to beat again.
“The backup won’t worry her, she is extremely tough and she has a great chance,” Miller said.
“She got beaten on Saturday in the Champion Fillies by one of Bob Peters (Arcadia Queen), I think it is a really good filly going places, and we gapped third.”
“I think the fillies are much stronger than the boys so hence the reason all the fillies are backing up from last Saturday.”
“The winner of the Champion Fillies (Arcadia Queen) is going there as well and she is a very good horse.”
Arcadia Queen will be ridden again by Perth’s leading jockey William Pike and the Pierro filly has drawn nicely at barrier three.
Miller will also saddle up Flirtini and is hoping Lucy Warwick will be able to find some cover on the filly from barrier eight after having no luck at her last two starts.
“Flirtini didn’t have much luck the other day but prior to that her career record reads really well,” Miller said.
“She is a filly that needs cover and hasn’t been able to get that her last two runs, but from eight she will be able to get smothered up and have one crack at them.”
Arcadia Queen has been installed the $3.50 favourite for the W.A. Guineas at Ladbrokes.com.au with Lady Cosmology on the fourth line of betting at $11 while Flirtini is one of the outsiders of the field at $26.
2018 W.A. Guineas betting at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.50 Arcadia Queen, $5.50 The Velvet King, $8 Junipal, $11 Lady Cosmology, Orcein, $12 Lordhelpmerun, $15 Black Sabbath, Platoon, $16 Regal Power, Ulusaba, $18 Blackwood River, True Defender, True Attraction, $26 Flirtini, $81 Fingermark, The Fugazi, $101 Regal Counsel, Zetorio.
