GALLOPERS NEWS

12.11.11 The Jinx Of The Sandown Guineas

.....  History tells punters that Sandown Guineas day has been a day for the outsider. One only has to look through the results over the years. Not only have favourites had a very rough trot in the Guineas, outsiders prevail & rarely go on to fulfill the potential shown in the event. Household names such as Caymana, Sender, Cayambee, Binding, Pay Keys have all saluted in the race in the past 10 years and who can forget how impressive winner Pressday failed to go on to make the annals of the all time greats.

This did not appear to be the case in years gone by with famous names such as Light Fingers, Taj Rossi, Better Draw, So Called. Shankhill Lass & even Durbridge saluting between 1964 & 1990. Since Durbridge won in 1990, there has been only 1 horse victorious in the race to go on to Group 1 glory, Naval Seal in 1992 who went on to win the next Epsom Handicap.  The other 20 have all failed to go on with the job & that includes some very good horses such as Over, Baryshnikov & Kidnapped.

Remember, Saintly was beaten in a Sandown Guineas as favourite before going on to win the Cox Plate & Melbourne Cup. And the list of Sandown Guineas winners that do no win another race is quite astounding. Caymans, Pay Keys, Sender, Binding, Cayambe, Moon Dragon, Pressday all failed to win another race after victory at Sandown while Special Dane & Dextrous won only one more race.

So Swift won todays version of the Guineas & we must congratulate a great training effort by Bill & Simon Wilde along with a terrific ride by Craig Williams to get the gelding home. The 3yo had had only 4 career starts prior to today, with his best effort a maiden win at Hamilton a fortnight ago. This form hardly inspired punters with So Swift being sent out at $20 to win the Guineas.

And it appears that it is not only the Guineas that is a jinx race on the day. There were four other races on today's Sandown program that produced double figure odds winners.

Now have a look at Ascot results for the day. Five of the winners prices were $18, $19, $38, $58 & $18. Then we have Rosehill where we saw a stayer resuming first up from a spell over 1900m & winning the last race at $71.

5 of the 8 favourites at Rosehill were all beaten. Only 2 favourites saluted at Ascot. Only one favourite won at Sandown.

Eagle Farm was the only metropolitan venue where the day went as planned for punters with 3 favourites & 2 second favourites getting the money.

Some may say this just falls into the average, you win some, you lose some. Nevertheless, it is quite amazing how this sort of thing occurs on Sandown Guineas day almost every year.

Gallopers hope for Bill & Simon Wilde's sake that So Swift does go on to win that elusive Group 1 event in the future, the combination certainly deserves such success. Alas, odds are definitely against it.

Gallopers 12.11.11

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