Futurity Stakes fancy Mighty Boss is among the twenty-nine first acceptances for the Group 1 $1m Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 3.

Mighty Boss, above in red and yellow colours, is among the first acceptances for the 2018 Australian Guineas at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Mighty Boss will be having his final lead up run for the Australian Guineas in the Group 1 $500,000 italktravel Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday and is well in contention to beat the older horses and is on the third line of betting at $5.50 with Ladbrokes.com.au.

Trainer Mick Price has opted to give the Not A Single Doubt three year old colt a tough hit out at weight for age before dropping back to his own age group in the Australian Guineas.

“He’s a tough horse,” Price told racing.com.

“He worked on the steeple grass last Saturday morning, and worked well. He worked with Holy Snow this morning on the Polytrack. He worked super. He came back in and had a little pigroot after he galloped, so he will definitely be accepted with and the plan is to run.”

“I’m aware it’s a Group 1 weight-for-age race, but taking a line through his first effort, I thought it was excellent, and certainly if he had have won, I’d have been fronting him up again.

“I’m really happy with my colt.”

Price is looking to have a very strong hand in the Australian Guineas with last start winners Grunt and Holy Snow also among the first acceptances.

Leading Victorian trainer Darren Weir has accepted with the early Australian Guineas favourite Cliff’s Edge who is one of two three-year-olds from the stable listed among the first acceptances and is joined by Peaceful State.

Cliff’s Edge kicked off his Australian Guineas campaign with a first up win in the Group 3 $150,000 Ladbrokes Manfred Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 3 and was then runner up to Grunt in the Group 3 $150,000 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington last Saturday with Peaceful State finishing in seventh position.

Sydney’s premiership winning trainer Chris Waller has accepted with four three-year-olds with the unbeaten D’Argento heading the remaining team of Kaonic, Paret and Tangmere.

Kiwi training partners Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, now based at Cranbourne, have accepted with Sully, Main Stage and Salsamor.

Sully and Main Stage showed a lot of potential during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival and finished second and fifth behind Ace High in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington.

Thousand Guineas winner Aloisia and Kennedy Oaks runner up Bring Me Roses are the only two fillies among the first acceptances for the Australian Guineas.

Early betting for 2018 Australian Guineas at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4.60 Cliff’s Edge, $6 Grunt, $8 Aloisia, Mighty Boss, $11 Levendi, Peaceful State, Villermont, $13 Holy Snow, $15 Aloisia, D’Argento, Kaonic, Main Stage, Mr So And So, Muraaqeb, $17 Addictive Nature, Showtime, $21 Bring Me Roses, Sully, $26 Assimilate, Paret, Salsamor, Siege Of Quebec, $34 or better the rest.

First acceptances for 2018 Australian Guineas (1600m)