Not even drawing a wide gate can dent Michael Dee’s enthusiasm for this Saturday’s Group 1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield.
The 16-time Group 1 winner will team with Lindsay Park filly Regal Ambition, who he has ridden to two wins from as many starts this time in, in the $1 million Group 1.
Dee first sat on the daughter of Palace Piere in a Pakenham jumpout on August 25 and said he felt from that point she was a filly who might take him to some good races.
“The first time I sat on her was her second jump out on the Pakenham Synthetic and she gave me a really good feel that morning,” he said.
“She’s got a big action, she’s not a big, strong filly – she’s quite tall and leggy – and eventually she might strengthen up and fill out into a frame a little bit more, but now she’s got that lovely action and great turn of foot.
“Very early in the spring I probably didn’t know what she was capable of, but when she won at Sandown, that’s when I had something to really look forward to and then last start I thought she was the one that’s a chance to really boost my spring.”
Regal Ambition, who races under The Racing League’s Vic Husslers’ colours, shot to the head of Guineas betting after downing then-Guineas favourite Pretty Baby in the Listed Jim Moloney Stakes (1440m), which followed victory in a strong 1200m Sandown maiden.
Her only other start was a second placing to Tolaga Bay in a 1200m Ballarat maiden, when Lachlan Neindorf was aboard, back in February.
Regal Ambition was handed barrier 11 in the field of 13 on Tuesday morning, but has been slightly tardy away in both runs this time in and while Dee would love her to jump better, his priority is to make sure she gets the right run.
“The query is that she’s been slow away from the barriers at the jumpouts and her first two starts (this time in),” he said.
“If we get the right run, she should be right thereabouts.”
Regal Ambition was not the only leading fancy to drew wide, with Over The Bridge handed the outside alley, while Flight Stakes placegetter De Armas drew nine with Saintly Dancer and Pretty Baby seeing their chances increase after drawing gates four and five respectively.
