Catchy to catch the boys out with historic Caulfield Guineas win

LINDSAY Park trainer David Hayes is confident his smart youngster Catchy can break a 41-year drought for the fillies in the Caulfield Guineas.

DAVID Hayes has $1.5 million reasons why Catchy is taking on the boys in the Caulfield Guineas and not run against her own sex in the Thousand Guineas on Saturday.

“One race is worth $500,000 and the other is $2 million. She took on the boys and beat them in the Blue Diamond Stakes and the Danehill Stakes so why not give it a go,” Hayes said.

“Other than the Golden Slipper every time she’s raced against the boys she’s won.”

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Hayes said they decided on setting Catchy for the Caulfield Guineas sometime ago.

“It’s a bold plan but we made up our mind at the start of the preparation that’s what we would do,” Hayes said.

Hayes said another reason Catchy would take on the boys was that she had already won a Group 1 race. “She’s a Group 1 winner already. A Caulfield Guineas would only enhance her pedigree,” he said.

“To me the only question is whether she can run a mile but she’s a big filly and she’s always finishing off.”

At her last start Catchy finished third in the Thousand Guineas Prelude behind Booker and Shoals, who are contesting the Thousand Guineas.

Catchy, who will be ridden by Mark Zahra, has firmed from $5 into $4.60 second favourite with TAB Fixed odds.

“I’m confident. She’s never let me down,” he said.

Standing out in the a crowd: Catchy parades before her narrow defeat in the Quezette Stakes in August.

Hayes isn’t concerned that a filly hasn’t won the Caulfield Guineas since Surround in 1976.

Surround then went on to win the Cox Plate at her next start, but Hayes said he would get through the Caulfield Guineas with Catchy before making a decision about whether to take on Winx.

“She’d need to win impressively or have been very unlucky.”

Hayes will be represented by Pure Scot, who ran on to finish fourth in the Edward Manifold Stakes last Saturday, in the Thousand Guineas.

“I’d be more confident if the race was over 1800m. She’d really need the tempo on to be a factor.”

Regan Bayliss and Catchy combine to win the Danehill Stakes. Picture: Getty Images

WOOHOO, FINALLY A WINNER

TASMANIAN raider Woohoo shed his maiden status, in the event billed as Victoria’s answer to The Everest, Sportsbet’s The Hotham (1200m) at Ballarat on Thursday.

The event was promoted as the race for Australia’s slowest horses with entry into the field based on how many races a horse had lost.

Prior to the win Woohoo had had 19 starts for three seconds and two thirds and $17,635 but the five-year-old mare added $27,500 with the victory.

Co-trainer jumps jockey Trent Wells said he was pumped after the win.

“That will cover the Spirit Of Tasmania but maybe not tonight in Ballarat,” Wells said.