Guineas Prelude

A star-studded field of three-year-olds make up the 2011 Caulfield Guineas Prelude nominations which were released on Monday ahead of the feature taking place at Caulfield Racecourse this Saturday, September 24.

The traditional lead-up to the $1 million Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m), the three-year-olds’ classic to take place this year on October 8, the Caulfield Guineas Prelude 2011 attracted 16 horses.

Of the early favourites in the 2011 Caulfield Guineas odds at Luxbet, only one is likely to contest Saturday’s $175,000, Group 3 Prelude over 1400 metres – Helmet.

Clear Caulfield Guineas betting favourite at a quote of $4.20 through Luxbet is the Anthony Cummings-trained Smart Missile, and although their name also appears in the list of Prelude nominees, connections are more likely to pay up for the colt to contest the $350,000 Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) also at the Caulfield meeting on Saturday after narrowly missing out on an elite level win when Smart Missile was defeated by Manawanui in the Golden Rose last start.

With upset Golden Rose winner and equal Caulfield Guineas second-favourite Manawanui engaged to race at Rosehill in an easier assignment, the Stan Fox Stakes, this leaves the Peter Snowden-trained Helmet as the headline Caulfield Guineas Prelude entry.

Helmet sits as the $7 co-second elect with Manawanui in the Caulfield Guineas markets at Luxbet after the dual Group 1 winner ran third in the Golden Rose on September 10.

Other noteworthy 2011 Caulfield Guineas Prelude Nominations include:

• Golden Archer (Peter Moody): Four-times stakes winner has had two starts at Caulfield when second to Sepoy first-up in the Vain Stakes and their last-start victory in the Group 3 HDF McNeil Stakes (1200m) on August 27, has the track record and class but distance an unknown.

• Chase The Rainbow (Rick Hore-Lacy): Dash For Cash colt comes off a close second behind fellow Prelude rival Specter in the Listed Henry Bucks Best Dressed (1400m) at Flemington on September 3. Failed in their only official Caulfield start to date on debut back in July but this is their home track so will have had plenty of trackwork to get them up to scratch.

• Cross Of Gold (David Hayes): Nicely-bred son of Redoute’s Choice is lightly-raced having just their third start on Saturday but is bred for this distance and was eye-catching when second behind Golden Archer in the McNeil Stakes last-start.

• That’s The One (Colin & Cindy Alderson): A real three-year-old to watch as they are unbeaten from two, most recently holding off a quality field to win from an awkward gate over 1410m at Flemington on August 6, has been off since then but should race well fresh.

The 2011 The Age Caulfield Guineas Prelude final field, barriers, jockeys and betting markets are all due for release later this week and will be published right here so bookmark this site for the latest.

In the meantime get ready for the Saturday race and betting action at Caulfield, and access the generous early Caulfield Guineas futures markets now open, by joining the online betting revolution at Luxbet.

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2011 Caulfield Guineas Prelude Nominations & Weights