Australian Guineas – what you need to know

AUSTRALIAN GUINEAS

Run at Flemington, 1600m, $1 million. Three-year-olds

HISTORY

* First run in 1986 when won by True Version

* 1998-2000 run over 2000m

NOTABLE WINNERS

* Zabeel (1990); Triscay (1991); Mahogany (1994); Baryshnikov (1995); Flying Spur (1996); Mouawad (1997); Reset (2004); Al Mahar (2005); Apache Cat (2006); Miss Finland (2007); Shamrocker (2011); Mosheen (2012); Shamus Award (2014); Palentino (2016); Hey Doc (2017); Grunt (2018)

TALKING POINTS

* Amphitrite, Mystic Journey and Verry Elleegant will take on the males aiming to become the first filly since Mosheen in 2012 to win

* Amphitrite chasing the Thousand Guineas-Australian Guineas Group One double

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* Mystic Journey will be trainer Adam Trinder’s first Group One runner

* The Inevitable will be attempting to win the C S Hayes-Australian Guineas double and follow Zabeel (1990); Mahogany (1994); Dash For Cash (2002); Hey Doc (2017) and Grunt (2018) as the only ones to do so

* Damien Oliver’s win on Grunt last year was his third win in the race giving him the riding record. He rides Chapada this year

* Lee Freedman and the late Colin Hayes – each with three winners – share the trainers’ record

* Sydney’s premier trainer Chris Waller has five runners in the race

WHAT THE KEY PLAYERS ARE SAYING:

“I think she’s taken improvement again off the back of her last win which we trusted she would. I think she is pretty close to peaking in her preparation and is going to go there and give a really good account of herself,” – Mystic Journey’s trainer Adam Trinder

“They won’t want to be wilting in that last 200 metres because he’ll come right over the top of them,” – Stars Of Carrum’s trainer Robbie Laing

“As a Carbine Club Stakes winner last spring, there is plenty of appeal in getting him back out to 1600 metres for a race that we’ve targeted with him,” – Ranier’s trainer James Cummings

“He’s well up to a race like this, without a doubt. Once he gets to a mile he’s pretty competitive from that distance up. It just would have helped if we had drawn a barrier,” – Chapada’s trainer Mike Moroney

“I’ve always said he just seems a real miler and all his runs have suggested he will get further. So it will be interesting to see on Saturday what he does do over the mile,” – O’Tauto’s trainer Greg Eurell