1000 Guineas Betting Tips

Fillies that win the Prix Marcel Boussac as a juvenile have a poor recent record, in terms of going on to win the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket the following season, but that hasn't deterred ante-post punters from getting stuck into Rumplestiltskin, who will be bidding to follow up her connections' victory with Virginia Waters in this race last year. The daughter of Danehill proved herself a classy two-year-old last term, winning the Moyglare at The Curragh, before landing the aforementioned Group One contest at Longchamp, scoring with more in hand than the bare marging of success suggests. She is a top-priced 4/1 favourite to land the first fillies' classic of the season, and deserves her place at the head of the market, but to my mind the 8/1 Paddy Power are offering about second favourite Nannina makes more appeal. John Gosden sent out Lahan to win this in 2000 and in Nannina he has an excellent chance of striking again. As with recent Marcel Boussac heroines, those that win the Fillies' Mile in the first season invariably go on to better things when racing over middle distances as three-year-olds, and don't have a great record in the 1000 Guineas. However, Nannina is unlikely many recent winner of that contest - she has plenty of natural speed - and her form going into the winter was as good, if not better, than any other filly with Classic aspirations. Although Nannina only got up in the dying strides of the Fillies' Mile, beating Rumplestiltskin's stablemate Alexandrova by a short-head, it is worth remembering that that race was run at a sedate pace, which didn't suit the selection, who did well under the circumstances to quicken as she did. Indeed, back over the Rowley Mile on Sunday 7th May, she will get the strong pace that she needs, and her proven ability to see out the one-mile trip could prove decisive, as the next two in the ante-post betting for this event, Flashy Wings and Silca's Sister, are not certain to stay. That remark applies most to Flashy Wings, who won her first three races over the minimum trip before landing the Lowther over six-furlongs at York. However, she was beaten in her next two starts, latterly when coming home in third place behind Donna Blini in the Cheveley Park Stakes, looking slightly unlucky in running. If she does stay, she will be in with a shout, but I am not convinced that she will. Godolphin bought Silca's Sister out of Mick Channon's yard after she won the Prix Morny at Deauville where she quickened away in good style to beat Aidan O'Brien's Ivan Denisovich by two lengths. She is versatile, proving her ability to handle cut in the ground having won her maiden on a fast surface previously. She will be the main danger to Nannina if the winter in Dubai has done her good, as she looks more likely than Flashy Wings to stay the mile. Alexander Alliance looked a filly going places when, following her excellent second to Art Museum on her debut, she demonstrated a decisive turn of foot to land a fillies' Listed event by three and a half lengths at The Curragh. She will need to improve on that to become a leading 1000 Guineas contender, but Tommy Stack knows what it takes to win this race having sent out Las Meninas to win the 1994 renewal of this Classic, and Alexander Alliance shapes as though she will develop into a cracking miler this season. As such, I can't resist recommending a small saver on her at 20/1 with Bluesq.