The Thousand Guineas returned to its traditional Caulfield Cup Day billing with a pulsating finish that saw Victorian filly Ole Dancer fend off the highly touted Sydney visitor Apocalyptic in a gripping Group 1 contest.
Trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman, Ole Dancer — a daughter of Ole Kirk — claimed the $1.5 million feature in just her fifth career outing, handing the local stable a moment of redemption after a quiet spring by their lofty standards. It was a victory that also restored Victoria’s bragging rights after Apocalyptic’s dominance in Sydney’s Flight Stakes (1600m) earlier this month.
“We knew we were in for a very light spring because we’d lost most of our big guns, and this filly, we weren’t disappointed in her last two runs, barriers had just brought around her demise,” Moody said.
“We had great respect for the Sydney filly. She just rose to the occasion and out-toughed her. The other one might have had one too many, and maybe we had one not enough too, because I thought it was going to out-tough us halfway down the straight.”
Apocalyptic ($1.90 favourite) set the early pace while Ole Dancer ($5.50) stalked her throughout. When Blake Shinn pressed the button turning for home, the two fillies went head-to-head in a battle that had the Caulfield crowd roaring. Ole Dancer dug deep to hold off Apocalyptic by a short neck, with Edward Manifold Stakes winner Getta Good Feeling ($8) closing well for third.
“It was an exciting race, a thrilling race for me to even ride in,” Shinn said. “Peter and Kat, you can just trust their horse’s fitness and when the pressure came on, she came to the fore. It was a great effort.”
The win gave Shinn his first Thousand Guineas success, while Moody and Coleman shared the honour for the first time as a partnership — a fitting result for the stable that continues to rebuild momentum at the scene of so many past triumphs.
To view the latest odds, expert tips, and betting offers for the Thousand Guineas and other spring features, visit Australia’s top betting sites.
