Alpine aims for an edge in Guineas

ALPINE Edge’s trainer describes the Queensland colt’s luckless first Melbourne attempt as “the one that got away” but says they won’t die wondering in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas on Saturday.

The Gold Coast Magic Millions runner-up could have led the Guineas Prelude last month but Craig Williams instead elected to steady.

Sitting behind the leader ended up being a move fraught with danger, with race favourite Alpine Edge not seeing clear air in the Caulfield straight and finishing fourth behind Lightsaber.

Trent Edmonds, who co-trains with father Toby on the Gold Coast, said it felt like the one that got away, or in cricketing parlance, “the one that slipped through our fingers”.

However, with the barrier gods smiling on Alpine Edge when drawing five on Tuesday, Edmonds is hoping the exciting Queensland colt can get some overdue luck in Saturday’s stallion-making Group 1.

“He certainly didn’t disgrace himself in the Prelude, he just didn’t have much luck,” Edmonds said.

“Whether he should have won or not, who knows? But it felt like the one that got away.

“Our stance on it is that if he led and got run down then you say ‘OK, no worries, sweet as, we didn’t win and he got beaten on his merits’. But he’s a big-striding horse and he likes room and he never got any room.”

Damien Thornton has been booked for the Guineas ride, with the colt being back near last in many of his Queensland races, but the trainers put that down to bad barriers or missing the kick on Magic Millions day.

Edmonds said the colt was versatile enough to take up a prominent position in the Guineas.