Talented filly Catchy has the credentials to take on the boys when she lines up against them in the Group 1 $2m Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Catchy, above, will take on the boys in the Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Lindsay Park’s head trainer David Hayes said that Catchy has beaten the colts and geldings in the past and the stable had made the Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas the Fastnet Rock filly’s main Spring Carnival goal.
“She took on the boys and beat them in the Blue Diamond Stakes and the Danehill Stakes so why not give it a go,” Hayes said.
“Other than the Golden Slipper every time she’s raced against the boys she’s won.”
“It’s a bold plan but we made up our mind at the start of the preparation that’s what we would do.”
“She’s a Group 1 winner already. A Caulfield Guineas would only enhance her pedigree.”
Catchy was the star two year old of the 2017 Melbourne Autumn Carnival and went into the Group 1 $1.5m Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield undefeated from three previous starts and went on to claim a near last to first finish to secure the winning trophy.
Catchy then had no luck when last of sixteen in the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill before being sent for a break.
The filly returned to racing as a three year old to finished second to Crown Witness in the Group 3 $150,000 Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 19 and then beat the colts and geldings in taking out the Group 2 $200,000 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on September 16.
Catchy then ran on from the back again to finish third behind Booker and Shoals in the Group 2 $200,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on October 1 .
The Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra trained Booker and Anthony Freedman’s filly Shoals will stick to the fillies in the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield while Catchy will be tested against the boys again.
Catchy has drawn barrier three in the capacity sixteen horse Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas field and will be ridden by Mark Zahra who takes over from Regan Bayliss who will be in Sydney to ride the Lindsay Park trained Redkirk Warrior in the $10m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick.
The Tony McEvoy trained Royal Symphony heads the betting for the Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas at $4.20 with Ladbrokes.com.au just ahead of Catchy at $4.60 and James Cummings’ Kementari at $5.
