Trainer Tony McEvoy is confident his filly Don’t Doubt Mamma can break a ten year drought for the fillies and beat the boys in the Group 2 $250,000 Sandown Guineas (1600m) at Sandown on Saturday.
Don’t Doubt Mamma has been installed the favourite for the Sandown Guineas at Sandown. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The David Hayes trained Cayambe was the last filly to win the Sandown Guineas in 2005 and McEvoy says that Don’t Doubt Mamma’s impressive rise up through the classes gives her a great chance to see the fillies return to the winner’s stall.
“She’s really impressed me this filly,” McEvoy told Racing.com’s Racing Ahead on RSN.
“Pretty much everything I’ve put in front of her she’s handled.
“I’m really looking forward to getting her to a mile and the fillies have really held their own against the boys this spring and I’m hoping she can do the same.”
Don’t Doubt Mamma is a winner of two of her last three race starts and McEvoy said his filly had excuses at her only run over 1600m when sixth two starts back in the Group 2 $200,000 TAB Edward Manifold Stakes at Flemington on October 4.
“She was last out and then had to be used up in that first 100 metres and that took a toll in the last 100 metres,” McEvoy said.
“You’d be a brave man to say she can’t run a mile on that performance.”
Don’t Doubt Mamma finished strongly three runs back to win over 1400m at Caulfield on September 19 then repeated that winning effort with a come from behind victory in the Listed $150,000 Lexus Hybrid Plate (1400m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day.
Top Melbourne jockey Dwayne Dunn was aboard the Not A Single Doubt filly for her Flemington win and has regained the mount in the Sandown Guineas.
Don’t Doubt Mamma’s pattern of racing is to settle back in the field and Dunn will no doubt take a position in the second half of the pack from barrier five in the fifteen horse field.
Bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au agree with McEvoy and have installed Don’t Doubt Mamma as the $4.20 favourite ahead of the consistent Mahuta at $6 and the David Hayes and Tom Dabernig trained He’s Our Rokkii at $7.50.
Sandown Guineas market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4.20 Don’t Doubt Mamma, $6 Mahuta, $7.50 He’s Our Rokkii, $8.50 Ngarimu, $9 Demonstrate, $10 Dal Cielo, $12 Patch Adams, $14 Zafiki, $21 Marky Mark, Maysam, Shockaholic, Flying Light, $34 Gredington, Sea Of TRanquility, $81 The Grey Flash.
