Guineas picture clearer after $100k Sarten today

The complicated road to the Guineas races at Riccarton reaches its next fork at Te Rapa today.

Because the fields for the two classics of Cup week will be all but complete after the $100,000 Sarten Memorial.

Punters found out so much more about who will be in the Guineas, and maybe what to expect there, at both Ellerslie and Riccarton on Saturday, with the big winners being the first three home in the Soliloquy Stakes and the impressive Sherwood Forest down south.

Travelling Light remained unbeaten winning the Soliloquy and needed to be good to do it, being forced to change ground in the straight to grab Bavella, with Jennifer Eccles running past plenty of her potential Guineas rivals to storm into third.

Trainer Ben Foote now has the 1000 Guineas favourite and says Travelling Light will head down early but not trial or race again. “She has pulled up great and we can’t wait to get her down there,” said Foote.

Trainer Lance Noble was almost as rapt with Bavella, who was strong through the line and has booked her ticket for the group one on Nov 16.

“We have now been beaten on the line in two stakes races but she is heading in the right direction so she will definitely go south,” says Noble.

But while the first three enhanced their 1000 Guineas claims, two other favoured runners in Aretha, trapped outside a solid speed, and Loire, who made only passable ground in the straight, were losers in the game of Guineas snakes and ladders.

At Riccarton the punters who backed Sherwood Forest into favouritism didn’t have a smooth ride as he was three wide throughout after being slow away and with the rail out a long way he had to be very good to win the War Decree Stakes.

He is good, probably not good enough to beat Catalyst in the 2000 Guineas on November 9 but he is now second favourite for the first group one of Cup week. “He is a lovely big horse and we knew the big track down there would suit him and he will be even better on top of the ground,” says trainer Tony Pike.

Joint favourite Aotea Lad was also trapped wide and faded late and while he can be forgiven he has fallen down the Guineas market.

His stablemate Equinox might even confirm himself as Te Akau’s best Guineas chance if he wins the

Sarten today, with the drying Te Rapa track which got to a good 5 last night aiding his case.

Today’s 1400m might be right at the end of his range and the 1600m at Riccarton may be beyond it, but if he can settle handy and the middle race tempo is not hot he might get away with it.

Double Impact might actually be the most talented galloper in today’s $100,000 race but still has so much to learn and Te Rapa can be a tough place to make mistakes.

Harlech is the other main Guineas contender in today and while his laststart defeat at Matamata hurt punters it was behind Travelling Light, who might have some real x-factor.

So the Guineas picture which got a bit clearer on Saturday should have a few more characters added and maybe some erased after today.