A rock-solid 10-1 shot for Sunday's 1,000 Guineas

Despite the fact that Sunday's UltimatePoker.com 1000 Guineas (Newmarket, 3.25) has lost some of its lustre through the defection of Divine Proportions and Damson, it's still shaping up to be a cracking contest. MAIDS CAUSEWAY, who reached the frame on each of her seven starts as a juvenile, looks overpriced at 10-1 and rates a cracking each-way bet in a race lacking a filly of superstar status.The daughter of Giant's Causeway goes into the first fillies' classic with the strongest form on offer, which makes her current odds all the more baffling. She chased home the classy Playful Act, who would be a short-priced favourite for this if she were in the line up, in the Group1 Fillies' Mile on fast going at Ascot in September, before prevailing in a thrilling finish to the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes over seven furlongs of the Guineas' Rowley Mile on soft ground the following month.In the Rockfel, Barry Hills' charge pulled out all the stops to narrowly repel Penkenna Princess, who was in receipt of 3lb, demonstrating a good cruising speed and tenacity aplenty. Penkenna Princess underlined the strength of the form when landing the Dubai Duty Free Stakes (formerly the Fred Darling) at Newbury earlier this month.I wouldn't worry that Maids Causeway will be going into Sunday's race without a prep run, as the last four winners of this Group 1 contest were making their seasonal reappearance. In addition, her proven stamina and ability to act on vastly varying conditions will stand her in good stead. She is sure to be bang there at the finish.At the time of writing, Karen's Capers heads the market. John Gosden has his string in fine form and this War Chant filly displayed a potent turn-of-foot when overhauling Cape Columbine in the Nell Gwyn Stakes earlier this month. She looks a leading player on the evidence, especially given that further improvement should be forthcoming.But sympathisers of statistic will point to the fact that no horse in the last decade has run in the Nell Gwyn en route to Guineas success, which is quite a compelling stat. Indeed, that stat also casts a cloud over the otherwise rock-solid claims of the runner up there, Cape Columbine, who also hails from a yard firing on all cylinders, that of David Elsworth.Cape Columbine may not have been ideally suited by the fast going that day, a theory borne out by having watched countless re-runs of her victory in a well-contested sales race over six furlongs here in October, in which she appeared to relish the soft ground. If the heavens open, she will be the one I'd fear most.As it stands, though, the going is unlikely to be any softer than good, and, on that premise, Shanghai Lily looks the biggest danger to the selection.Both she and stablemate Echelon represent the owner-trained combination of the Cheveley Park Stud and Sir Michael Stoute that teamed up to land this with Russian Rhythm in 2003. The unbeaten Shanghai Lily won both of her starts last term at Newbury in the style of a potentially top-notch filly and while she needs to step up on that form markedly to take a hand in the finish on Sunday, she has reportedly wintered well and is impossible to discount.Godolphin's main hope Satin Kiss has skated home in two starts in Dubai this season but she has an awful lot to find on her two-year-old form and I'd be surprise if she proved good enough on Sunday. That remark also applies to Aidan O'Brien's challenger Virginia Waters, who achieved precious little when scoring at Leopardstown on her seasonal reappearance and maybe and is likely to be found wanting at this level.Betting Verdict: 1pt e/w Maids Causeway @ 10/1 (Bet365, VC Bet)