The double may not have been done in over a decade, but the punters are tipping Peter Moody’s Prelude winner Boogie Dancer to win the Group 1 $1 million Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) in Melbourne on Wednesday.
The Peter Moody-trained Boogie Dancer is favourite to complete the Prelude – Thousand Guineas 2022 double with success in Wednesday’s Group 1. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Eleven three-year-old fillies make-up the Thousand Guineas final field this spring with markets on the mile showdown at Caulfield firmly led by Moody’s daughter of Sooboog Boogie Dancer.
She is $3.60 in Thousand Guineas betting at Ladbrokes drawn well midfield in barrier six for jockey Luke Nolen.
Irish Lights (2009) was the last filly to win the Thousand Guineas Prelude – Thousand Guineas double, the opening leg of which Boogie Dancer won in a barnstorming three-length performance bkac on September 17.
The step-up in distance looks a non-issue for the progressive chestnut who is out to salute for the punters in the Group 1.
Following closely in the markets now into $4 is fellow last start winner She’s Licketysplit who jumps one on the favourite’s inside from gate five with Damian Lane aboard.
The Andrew Forsman-trained Turn Me Loose filly is a Group 1 winner back in New Zealand who presents fit third-up down under in the Thousand Guineas.
She was third in the Prelude with 59kg to the winner’s 56kg before enjoying a confidence boosting win at Flemington on October 1 in the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m).
She’s Licketysplit is proven at the 1600m now and meets Boogie Dancer equal in the weights for their rematch making her a nice value tip to turn the tables.
In a tight top-half of the market the other best backed filly to get the job done at $5.50 is the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained North Star Lass.
Jockey Tim Clark is in flying form and continues associations on this nicely-bred daughter of Zoustar.
She comes through the Princess Series in Sydney having won the Group 2 Furious Stakes before running fourth to her stablemate Zougotcha in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes and then third to the same classy filly in the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) last time out.
The early Thousand Guineas market mover meanwhile is the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Russian Conquest backed in from $11 to $8.50 to salute from barrier one with Jamie Kah in the saddle.
The Russian Revolution filly is looking to break a notable winning drought and was last seen running at Sandown when only a quarter-length back fourth in a blanket finish in the Listed Jim Moloney Stakes (1400m) having flashed home from last late from a wide gate.
“We had to go back a long way at Sandown, we didn’t want to go that far back, but we were dictated to by the barrier (12),” co-trainer Paul Snowden told Just Horse Racing this week.
“You saw how much ground she made up in the straight, so I dare say the barrier beat her, and it’s very pleasing to draw one.”
Team Snowden launce a three-pronged attack on the Thousand Guineas this year with Russian Revolution joined in the final field by her stablemates, Blue Diamond runner-up Revolutionary Miss ($21) in barrier 10 and the lightly-raced Edward Manifold third placed Tajneed ($12) in gate eight.
The 2022 Thousand Guineas is scheduled to run as Race 8 at 5:05pm (AEDT) on Wednesday’s nine-race Caulfield card.
