Catchy beats the boys in Danehill Stakes

Lindsay Park’s Catchy has beaten her male rivals in the Danehill Stakes.

A grand-daughter of former champion sire Danehill has won the Group Two race named after him at Flemington.

The Lindsay Park-trained Catchy stormed to victory in Saturday’s 1200m race for three-year-olds which has all but guaranteed the filly a start in the $2 million Caulfield Guineas on October 14.

Catchy’s next run against her own sex in the Thousand Guineas Prelude on October 1 will determine whether she runs in the Guineas or the lesser $500,000 Thousand Guineas on the same day.

Ridden by Regan Bayliss and sent off the $3.60 favourite, Catchy scored a three-quarter length win over Jukebox ($8.50) with Booker ($6.50) a head away third.

Senior Lindsay Park trainer David Hayes said Catchy was the dominant two-year-old in Melbourne last season, winning the Blue Diamond Stakes, and has trained on into her three-year-old year.

“If you go back and watch the Blue Diamond you see how powerful she was in the last 400 metres and she did that against the boys again today,” Hayes said.

“At the moment she’s probably favoured to take on the boys in the $2 million Guineas.

“She’ll run against the fillies next start and if she’s as dominant again we’ll take on the boys in the Guineas.

“The Guineas is worth four times as much as the Thousand Guineas and twice as much fun.”

The victory provided Bayliss with back-to-back Group race wins after taking out the Bobbie Lewis Stakes aboard Redkirk Warrior.

“I came into the meeting quietly confident I had two star horses to ride,” Bayliss said.

“Redkirk Warrior acquitted himself very well in the Bobbie Lewis and she came here today, first time down the straight and has beaten the colts.

“She’s an absolute star.”

The race was marred by the fall of Limestone, ridden by Damian Lane, in the closing stages.

The pair escaped unscathed.