Mick Price confirms Badawiya will contest the Thousand Guineas
TOP Victorian trainer Mick Price says Badawiya will have a light week of track work, before taking on the best three-year-old fillies in the country in Saturday’s Thousand Guineas at Caulfield.
There was some doubt Badawiya would back up from her last start victory in the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes at Flemington on Sunday, given her light frame, that it will be her third start in just under three weeks, and second in under a week.
But Price says the daughter of Al Maher will be rested up and given some tender loving care, and will be ready to tackle the 1600m Group 1 race for fillies.
“There’d be no gallop for her, I think we’d lead her off the pony, swim her and give her a bit of TLC. It is a Group 1 and there won’t be too many opportunities for her,” Price said.
Damien Oliver rode Badawiya last time out but will not be onboard for the Thousand Guineas after incurring a suspension for causing interference on Tavaci in the fourth race on the card.
Craig Newitt, who completed a successful six-month in stint in Singapore this year, will ride the promising Badawiya after guiding her to a midfield finish three starts back at Moonee Valley.
Since then Badawiya easily defeated a mid-week field at Pakenham, before Oliver’s superb ride in the Manifold Stakes, with the two-length victory coming over Sacred Eye and My Popette.
“I don’t know where she gets all her energy from, she’s a little mouse of a thing but she’s got a great motor in her,” Price said.
While only weighing 420kg, Oliver says Badawiya is a likely type and had the ability to knock off a field that includes Champagne Stakes winner Pasadena Girl, which was a fast-finishing fifth in the Thousand Guineas Prelude last month over 1400m.
“She had a good run, cruised up and showed good acceleration, she’d be up to it (Thousand Guineas), but she’s a filly I think that can train on for further also,” Oliver said.
Pasadena Girl ($4) and her last start conqueror, Miss Gundpowder ($5) are the two horses ahead of Badawiya in the early markets.
Saturday is promising to be a cracking day of racing with the Thousand Guineas, the Caulfield Guineas, the Toorak Handicap and the Caulfield Stakes the four group 1s on the card.
Oliver will be bitterly disappointed with his 10 meeting suspension, with several hot chances among his Group 1 rides on Ready For Victory, Fawkner, Disposition and Tivaci.
However the suspension means he was not forced to choose out of Badawiya and Jameka in the Thousand Guineas.