All the facts about the Thousand Guineas
THOUSAND GUINEAS
1600m, $500,000. Three-year-old fillies, set-weights, 1600m
HISTORY
* First run in 1946 when won by Sweet Chime
* Group One since 1979
NOTABLE WINNERS
* Chicquita (1949), Wenona Girl (1960), Beginia Belle (1967), Toltrice (1972), Toy Show (1975), Richfield Lady (1991), Northwood Plume (1994), Alinghi (2004), Miss Finland (2006), Atlantic Jewel (2011), Guelph (2013), Stay With Me (2015), Global Glamour (2016)
TALKING POINTS
* Anna Rose and Heirloom dead-heated in 1963
* Six Flight Stakes winners have gone on to win, latest last year with Global Glamour. This year’s Flight Stakes winner Alizee is the Guineas favourite
* Booker will be striving to become the first winner of the Thousand Guineas Prelude to go on and win the Guineas since Irish Lights in 2009
* Damien Oliver, who rides She’s So High, is the leading jockey with Commanding Jewel in 2012 the latest of his five wins
* Bart Cummings trained five winners. His grandson James trains this year’s favourite Alizee
WHAT THE KEY PLAYERS ARE SAYING:
* “We’re taking on the Melbourne fillies on their home patch, but we’re happy with the way she’s arrived and we’re looking forward to the challenge” – trainer James Cummings on Flight Stakes winner Alizee
* I’ve always pushed hard to go the Thousand Guineas way and as it’s turned out she has run really well leading into it” – Booker’s jockey Dwayne Dunn
* “She’ll wear the blinkers and I reckon she’ll run really well” – jockey Mark Zahra on Shoals
* She’s going great. She’s probably going to be better suited over a bit further, possibly the Oaks, but there’s no reason why she shouldn’t run a really good race” – Aloisia’s trainer Aaron Purcell.