Skybird, Coeur Volante jostle for Thousand Guineas favouritism
A field of 13 three-year-old fillies are set to do battle in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday afternoon.
Two runners stand clear at the top of the market, as Skybird (+260) and Coeur Volante (+300) will be looking to add Group 1 success to their already glittering records.
Undefeated through three starts, the Mitchell Freedman-trained Skybird holds the call at the time of acceptances, following a breathtaking victory in the Group 2 Fillies Classic (1600m) at Moonee Valley.
Beau Mertens, who has partnered Skybird in all three of her starts, will stick on board the Exosphere filly, with the pair drawn perfectly in barrier two.
Having tasted Group 1 glory with Attrition in the Toorak Handicap (1600m), Mertens and Freedman will be looking to add further Group 1 success in an already breakout spring.
Coeur Volante will be looking to rewrite the history books following her win in the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) on October 21.
No filly has completed the Prelude and Guineas double since Irish Lights in 2009.
Blake Shinn will once again partner the daughter of Proisir, jumping from barrier five.
The ever-consistent duo of Joliestar (+600) and Kimochi (+850) are the only other runners at a single-figure quote, both coming through the Listed Desirable Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day when finishing second and third, respectively.
The 2023 Thousand Guineas is the opening leg of the quaddie in Saturday’s meeting at Caulfield, with the race set to jump at 3:45pm AEDT.
Thousand Guineas 2023 field
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