The Golden Rose is loud in the conversation these days - but the time honoured G1 Caulfield Guineas still speaks with authority to the notion of a “sire making” race for three year olds - because it is run at the true Classic distance.
We're in the thick of the Spring Carnival action now as we roll into Caulfield's fantastic opening day!
The inaugural Caulfield Guineas was run in 1881 and won by Wheatsheaf.
The race has always been run over a mile at Caulfield ( though was held at Flemington in the war years between 1940-43) and it was awarded G1 status in 1979.
There have been far too many memorable Guineas winners to list them all, but since 1990 the names that always spring to mind are Mahogany, Redoute’s Choice, Show A Heart and Lonhro.
Helenus, Whobegotyou, Helmet, All Too Hard, Divine Prophet, The Autumn Sun, Weekend Hussler and Starspangledbanner were exceptional winners as were recent Guineas heroes Super Seth, Anamoe and Ole Kirk.
In the 70’s and 80’s we saw the great fillies Dual Choice and Surround triumph and it was the era of legends like Luskin Star, Manikato, Sovereign Red, Grosvenor and Red Anchor.
In the 50s/60s it was Hydrogen, Tulloch, Coppelius, Star Affair, Rajah Sahib, Vain and the fillies Wiggle and Storm Queen who thrilled the crowds.
A capacity field of 16 runners is set to contest a high class Guineas this year!
Stats aren't always all they're cracked up to be - but it's hard to ignore the fact that only two Guineas winners in the last 30 years were outside the top four in their final lead up. Hmmm.
So, should the last start seventh placed Autumn Boy (The Autumn Sun) really be second fave?
Barrier 1 is also tricky for this colt and his racing style - he's going to need luck.
Then (to me at least) it looks like more of a Derby pedigree that he owns - even though his champion sire won this race.
Promising as he is, I'm risking Autumn Boy.
West Of Swindon (Wootton Bassett) was good in the Stutt Stakes but again looks more like a Derby prospect to me, and has drawn awfully. Ditto the horse second to him in the Stutt, Romantic Encounter (Ghaiyyath)
I have some doubts on the exceptionally smart Vinrock ( I Am Invincible) over a strongly run mile from gate 14.
Rivellino (Too Darn Hot) is drawn beautifully, gets the blinkers off and Craig Williams on.
I just can't see him winning - over a bit more ground he will be primed for a big victory in something, surely.
Had Stay Cosmic (Cosmic Force) drawn a better gate I would have been tempted to make him my blowout hope…out of a Galileo mare with blinkers going on first time and line bred to Rainbow Quest, I reckon he will love the 1600m and might outrun his big odds!
A very interesting runner is Ciaron Maher’s Godolphin bred blueblood Observer (Ghaiyyath), out of a full sister to Guineas placed Pierro.
Money for Navy Pilot (I Am Invincible) with a perfect gate, out of a New Approach mare and from the immediate family of Guineas / Cox Plate champion Anamoe!
Top pick: WODETON
Last week I picked Tupakara, aka “Australia's best maiden” to win the Flight Stakes, and she ran last.
Here I am putting another horse with the dreaded bridesmaid tag on top, but Wodeton is a different prospect altogether. (With no disrespect to the filly intended)
Wodeton's G1 form is so good, the colt is so consistent, and the step up to the mile seems to suit him so ideally I just can't see him running anything but a fantastic race.
He was the first colt home in the Slipper and that form has stood up in outstanding fashion.
If successful he will be the first colt since Anamoe to win the Guineas off a second in the Slipper - and Anamoe also was second in his Golden Rose lead up run.
Now I'm not saying Wodeton is Anamoe II but with a bit more luck his record to this point would be in the same ballpark…or maybe the carpark of the ballpark… but still exceptional!
Then there's the Wootton Bassett factor. From their extraordinarily versatile sire, sadly lost to us last week, the progeny seem to be endowed with plenty of natural speed but stamina as well - and as time goes on we see that many of them do like to go over a bit of ground.
These individuals are probably far more comfortable at 1600m at three, than in the helter skelter of a 1200m Aussie two year old race (even if they can be highly competitive in that environment)
Wodeton was an early subject in our 3YO Crystal Ball series and for an in-depth dive into his pedigree and life story so far you can read more here.
The beautiful colt was born to be a star and Heruns for Coolmore and partners, with his breeder Fairway Thoroughbreds retaining a share in the ownership.
The colt created a huge buzz when he appeared at the 2024 MM Gold Coast Yearling sale as part of the draft from Segenhoe Stud, where he was born and raised. It was the bid of Tom Magnier which secured the youngster for $1.6m and he was duly placed in the care of Chris Waller.
Wodeton was the second foal from his lightly raced, stakes winning dam Fiera Vista (Exceed And Excel) and her third, a colt by I Am Invincible was also purchased by Magnier for $1.15m at the 2025 MM Gold Coast - yet to be named, he’s a good chance of being in the thick of the juvenile features in 2026!
Wodeton comes from a female family steeped in Kiwi racing history. Like so many great NZ families the line descends from a daughter of the mighty broodmare sire Foxbridge, Lady Reynard - a three quarter sister to Lady Ridicule, who became dam of the 1960 Melbourne Cup winning mare Hi Jinx.
The line goes back to the 1860 import Juliet (GB) through her prolific daughter Sylvia ( dam of 1883 Melbourne Cup hero and champion sire Martini-Henry and an even greater sire in Goldsborough)
Sylvia's daughter Wood Nymph, a full sister to Martin -Henry is the tail female ancestress of Wodeton.
Too many great horses descend from Blue Hen Sylvia to list, but one notable individual flying the flag for this line at the moment is Coolmore’s superstar racehorse and sire So You Think!
Wodeton endured a chequered passage in the Slipper and his run really was enormous. He was then caught wide in the Sires, loomed, and fought on for a close up fourth.That was his fourth run in.
He now goes to the mile fourth up having furnished into a far stronger individual and is racing like he's cherry ripe for it. Surely there can't be any stronger 3YO formline in Australia than Beiwacht / Tempted?
Wodeton is bred
Northern Dancer 5m x 5m,5m,5m
Danzig 5m x 4m
Notably Danzig is one of Wootton Basset's best nicks and. In particular Danehill's son Exceed And Excel is an exciting match!
That’s due to Wootton Bassett's second damsire the influential Danzig son Chiefs Crown - this individual is from the tail female line of Exceed And Excel (23-b), and both sires are strongly linebred to the tribe.
The damsire of Chief's Crown Secretariat, is a son of Bold Ruler out of a mare by Discovery (23-b), and Wootton Bassett is bed 5f x 5f to Secretariat.
This ties in beautifully with Wodeton's dam who brings sex balanced duplications of Sir Ivor, by Secretariat's half brother Sir Gaylord.
Sex balanced linebreeding to Mr Prospector and Blue Hen Special are another feature, as are multiple lines to related sires Danzig, Rockefella and Bletchingly.
Wodeton has drawn barrier 10 - I don't mind that as it's giving J Mac, who sticks solid, plenty of options.
Wodeton has a stallion's pedigree, he is so genuine and clearly has the class - he just needs his G1 to make him the finished product. Is this -finally - going to be his moment?
Next best: NEPOTISM
After his extraordinary win in the G1 Champagne Stakes, Team Hawkes trained Nepotism was being hailed as the next superstar of the turf and was locked in as Guineas favourite.
Excuses can be made for both runs since his return. Inside draws don't suit his style, he found trouble both times and in the Golden Rose he was his own worst enemy, clearly resenting racing in close quarters.
So he's drawn barrier 12 here, winkers come off, all good! Nevertheless he will need to defy the statistician. Can he?
If Nepotism can unleash the supersonic closing speed he displayed at Randwick we might see a Guineas run that is Lonhro-esqe on Saturday!
I've got faith in this guy. largely because his dam the unraced Brigite is a full sister to Guineas winner All Too Hard, a half sister to Ole Kirk and to Black Caviar.
This family can never be written off in a big three year old race.
The Hawkes team trained Nepotism's sire Brutal to win the GI ATC Doncaster Handicap at just his seventh start, and they also trained Ole Kirk.
A $160,000 Inglis Premier purchase from Gilgai Farm for International Thoroughbred Solutions, Nepotism runs for an ownership group that includes some of the Black Caviar owners and his breeder Gilgai Farm.
Nepotism is bred
Last Tycoon 3m x 4f sex balanced
Danzig x 5m,5m
Following a theme here as Brutal's damline is the same as Wodeton’s! - through Lady Ridicule (13a) - this time through her descendant the top NZ Marchere.
Nepotism is linebred to Silly Season through his sons Lunchtime and Adios - this is a supreme nick, as Adios is from the family of Grey Sovereign and Snippets has a line to his daughter Lachine.
As well, Nepotism's dam carries Grey Sovereign tail male through Kenmare and Warpath by Sovereign Path - the latter sex balanced in Nepotism, being the fourth damsire of champion GB 3YO Golan - the big Classic influence in Brutal's pedigree.
Golan's ancestress Edinburgh has a fair bit in common genetically with Nepotism's Blue Hen ancestress Song Of Norway
Pompeii Court is from the family of Song Of Norway, both descending from Conjure and this is also the family of Vain's grandsire Court Martial - so Nepotism's great damline is very much built around this blood!
I think Nepotism is going to like Caulfield,it's a good swooper's track when dry - he will not need to endure being cluttered up this time - and gets his chance to prove that memorable Champagne win was just a prelude to greater things!
Roughie: PLANET RED
Planet Red is a stunning type of colt and an absolute dead ringer for his sire Admire Mars, a three time G1 winner and unbeaten champion 2YO of Japan.
We’ve seen with a number of Japanese stallions that (and their progeny) are particularly effective at the mile, as it is run in Australia in a high pressure race.
The striking chestnut was not suited by the slow run Guineas Prelude and had previously raced more forward - he can do that here from his good gate. A fast run mile is perfect now for this two time winner who is already stakes placed in four starts and has a bit of X factor about him!
Mick Price selected Planet Red out of the Karaka Ready To Run in 2024, paying $260,000 for the colt offered by Ohukia Lodge.
A son of G1 winner and leading sire Daiwa Major (by Sunday Silence) and he French Group winner Via Medici, Admire Mars’ oldest progeny are now 3YO’s in Australia
Red Planet is the third foal from his 1600m winning dam Lucky Helmet, by the Caulfield Guineas winner Helmet and is a three quarter sister to SW Koala Bear.
Their dam Lucky Mascot by the great Zabeel produced seven winners including top filly Flying Mascot ( by Tavistock, G3 VRC Matron Stakes, Mannerism Stakes, Tesio Stakes)
Lucky Mascot is a full sister to Axiom, the dam of outstanding brothers by Pentire - Champion NZ 3YO Xtravagant (G1 NZ, 2,000 Guineas ,G1 Waikato Sprint) and He's Remarkable (2nd 2,000 Guineas, also runner up WATC G1 Railway).
This remarkable and prolific Classic family is a branch of the great tribe descending from imported mare Teppo (2-e). Planet Red's line comes through her daughter Isa a full sister to champion colt Thrice who won the Caulfield Guineas of 1917!
Planet Red is bred
Singspiel 4f x 4f
I just love the linebreeding to the globetrotting superhorse and brilliant broodmare sire Singspiel and hope we see more of it.
Helmet was a genuine freak racehorse too and won this race. An overall flop at stud he is still a G1 producing sire and has the pedigree of a great broodmare sire!
Sire - freak talent. Damsire - freak talent. Inbreeding to - freak talent. And a great family. It's a pretty good recipe! Throw in the G1 expertise of Price /Kent, jockey Jordan Childs and a good barrier.
Blowout: SPACE RIDER
Blueblood Zoustar colt Space Rider is the other Price / Kent runner coming in off a good 4th in the Prelude. He has won both first up starts, been below par second up and is now fourth up for this tilt at the mile.
He profiles like a horse looking for the distance despite being full brother to a stakes winning sprinter.
Zoustar doesn't have a Caulfield Guineas winner on his amazing CV but he has sired top class G1 3YO mile winners.
Space Rider is out of the G2 WA Champion Fillies (1600m) winner Fuddle Dee Duddle by Red Ransom, and he is a full brother to G3 winning sprinter Brereton. Also in the family are Everest queen Bella Nipotina and Caulfield Guineas winner In Top Swing.
Space Rider is bred
Danzig 5m x 5m
He is linebred to Lunchtime and Wilkes.
The colt will jump from 11 with Beau Mertens aboard.
Mick Price trained $101 longshot Mighty Boss to win the Caulfield Guineas in 2017
Can he cause another upset here?
