Darley Australia Managing Director Henry Plumptre has revealed that champion filly Guelph is likely to be retired after finishing third behind Traitor in the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22.
Guelph is set to finishing her racing career with four victories at Group 1 level. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Guelph produced an improved effort in the Phar Lap Stakes, after performing poorly in both the Group 2 Light Finger Stakes (1200m) and Group 2 Surround Stakes (1400m) at the start of her autumn campaign, but the performance was still well short of her best form that saw her record four wins at the highest level of racing.
Plumptre told TVN that he had spoken to trainer Peter Snowden and bloodstock advisor Sheikh Mohammed and would be making the recommendation to Godolphin owner Sheikh Mohammed that Guelph is retired to begin a breeding career.
“Our feeling here is that she should be retired,” Plumptre said.
“We will certainly stop her campaign now.
“For whatever reason she isn’t the same filly; she isn’t letting go at the end of her races.
“She is well and really after four Group 1s she has nothing left to prove.”
Guelph made her racing debut with a second place finish behind Brilliant Bisc in the Listed Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) at Royal Randwick during the 2012 Spring Racing Carnival and recorded her maiden win in the Myboycharlie At Vinery Plate (1000m) at Warwick Farm.
The daughter of Exceed And Excel stamped herself as a Group 1 contender with a win in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m), but finished a disappointing ninth in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
Guelph returned to her best form with a fourth place finish in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) before finishing her autumn preparation with two wins at Group 1 level in the Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) and Champagne Stakes (1600m).
After a stint in the spelling paddock, Guelph started her 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a narrow defeat to Bound For Earth in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m), but did not suffer a defeat for the rest of her campaign; taking out the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m), Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) and Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) in comfortable fashion.
Snowden was hoping that Guelph would perform well enough to receive an opportunity at weight-for-age level in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival after he elected not to run the talented filly in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) last year.
