Thousand Guineas 2016: Global Glamour leads all the way to win Group 1 feature

GLOBAL Glamour did what many thought was impossible and claimed the Flight Stakes-Thousand Guinea double in a week with an outstanding win on Saturday.

Kerrin McEvoy celebrates after Glbal Glamour wins the Thousand Guineas. Picture: Colleen Petch

GLOBAL Glamour did what many thought was impossible and claimed the Flight Stakes-Thousand Guinea double in a week with an outstanding win at Caulfield on Saturday.

Only seven days ago Global Glamour led throughout to win the Flight Stakes over the testing Randwick 1600m course.

But co-trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott felt Global Glamour had come through that win so well that she could back up and repeat the effort in the Group 1 $500,000 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield.

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They were right, as Global Glamour, beautifully rated in front by Kerrin McEvoy, led throughout and defied her challengers to compete the big-race double.

“Adrian and I would not have brought her down here unless we thought she would be very hard to beat,’’ Waterhouse said. “We said to the owners this is what we want to do. I know it is a bit unorthodox but these fillies, when they peak they are a bit like a blooming flower.

“There were no other options for her. She hasn’t missed a beat all week so I thought why not give it a go. All I told Kerrin was to replicate what Tim Clark did last week — and she will do the rest.’’

Gai Waterhouse was all smiles after Global Glamour’s win at Caulfield. Picture: Ian Currie

Global Glamour ($4.40) was simply too strong for her rivals, holding her rivals at bay to score by a length from I Am A Star ($21) with Whispering Brook ($8.50) a half neck away third.

Foxplay was sent out the $4.20 favourite and struck some trouble in the straight but worked home nicely for run fourth.

Global Glamour gave Waterhouse her 136th career Group 1 win and her first Thousand Guineas. It was a breakthrough Melbourne major for Bott.

When the Thousand Guineas was shifted from the Wednesday before the Caulfield Cup and added to Caulfield Guineas day, it was felt it would be too demanding for a filly to perform at her best in the Flight Stakes and then back up a week later at Caulfield.

Global Glamour led all the way to win her second Group 1.

But Global Glamour proved herself a superior and very tough filly with her Group 1 double.

“She is very classy and very tough,’’ McEvoy said. “Her last to wins, she has done it correctly, jumped away cleanly and got into a nice rhythm which is the key to her.

“She was relaxed underneath me even though we had to use that initial burst of speed to get across but form that point I was pretty happy throughout the race.

“I was actually very confident form the 600m because she felt so strong underneath me and I knew she would give a big kick from the turn.’’

Waterhouse was unsure of immediate race plans for Global Glamour but said the filly would be set for the $2 million Magic Millions 3yo Guineas on the Gold Coast in January.

“This filly cost only $65,000 as a yearling and now she has won two Group 1 races, nearly $700,000 prizemoney with a lot more to come, and she is a very valuable potential broodmare now.’’