Medaglia d’Oro’s Flit Captures Thousand Guineas in a Thriller

Mark Smith - Saturday October 12

Saturday's Group 1 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) was a three-horse war over the final 300 metres and it was Godolphin's race favourite Flit that edged out Missile Mantra and Southbank and had James Cummings contemplating a run in the Group I Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley in a fortnight.

Flit defeated Missile Mantra (Smart Missile) by a nose, with Southbank (Fastnet Rock) another short half-head away third. (images Grant Courtney)


Making her sixth start, Flit had just one previous win on her resume, the Group III Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes at Flemington, which she had to share with Ready Set Sail, and had little luck at her most recent start in the Group II Thousand Guineas Prelude.

Winning jockey Hugh Bowman felt that the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro (USA) would have won more comfortably had it been run at a more even tempo.

"She's a quality filly and it wasn't a real test today," Bowman said.

"It was just a sprint home so I don't think we saw the best of her.

"I think if it was a genuinely run event she would have won more comfortably."

James Cummings said three-year-old fillies have a good record in the Cox Plate

"We've got that decision to make," Cummings said. 

"We can let the dust settle on today. We have to enjoy the win and a target that has well and truly been pulled off.

I must say before getting through the Caulfield Stakes this year it's looking pretty open. I dare say she'd be comfortable at a mile and a quarter.

"She came into this today with half a win to her name. While she can keep making ground and having the run with flashing lights on them, there is something to be said for winners. To come here and win a Group One with such little winning experience says a lot about her future.

"She can always lay claim to being a Thousand Guineas winner and that's a great title for her to hold and a wonderful achievement for all of the staff."

Flit is a half-sister to stakes-placed Flow and is the best of three winners from Group III placed Redoute's Choice mare Glissade, a daughter of Group III winner Steflara.

Glissade has a weanling filly by Street Boss (USA) and was covered last spring by Frosted (USA).

Flit gives Medaglia d'Oro (USA) his 25th success at the elite level and follows Golden Slipper winner Vancouver, the Darley stallion Astern and NZ Derby winner Crown Prosecutor as Medaglia d'Oro's Australian-bred Group 1 winners.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Four MM Lead Ups for Icarian Dream - what are the stats?
Two-year-old filly Icarian Dream’s win in the B.J. McLachlan Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday will see her head into the Magic Millions 2YO Classic having had four starts before year’s end, which might seem a lot in this day and age – but is it? We’ve had a look.
Arriving Home Goes Two for Two – Three-Quarter Brother for MM 2025
Talented I Am Invincible filly Arriving Home does her best work on the line and we saw it when she scored on debut at Warwick Farm earlier this month and again when she got there in the last stride to win at Randwick on Saturday.
Stakes Racing Catalogue Updates Last Week
A dozen stakes updates in the past week into catalogues for yearlings coming up.
Aussie Bred Wins HK Classic Mile
The $HK10million Hong Kong Classic Mile at Sha Tin on Monday was won in commanding style by exciting prospect Golden Sixty, an Aussie bred Medaglia D’Oro (USA) gelding, whose half-brother Quiet Riot was also a winner at Warwick Farm earlier in the day.
Is He the Next Via Sistina or Buckaroo?
The Fastnet Rock x Galileo cross is a formidable one and has produced this spring’s elite Group I winners Via Sistina (IRE) and Buckaroo (GB) with another lightly raced import bred the same way in Gilded Water (GB) going two for two in Australia with a cavalier win at Randwick on Saturday.
No Shock in Supernova
The good times keep on rolling for connections of winning machine Here To Shock(NZ) (Shocking) who plundered the inaugural A$1 million Supernova at Pakenham over his favoured 1400m distance for trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes.
Sires With Winners - Saturday December 21
Here is the full list of 95 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Another Stakes Win For This Burly Enigma - Leave The Whip At Home
Enigmatic is a word often bandied about in racing but it certainly sits well upon the ample shoulders of Cannonball, a big odds winner of the Listed Magic Millions Falvelon at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Verdi's Gritty Goldman wins Pakenham Cup
One-time Melbourne Cup favourite Goldman has bounced back to winning form for the first time in more than 18-months when leading throughout to score in the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) on Saturday.
Best On Breeding
We are down to the final Group 1 race of the season, Saturday’s $500,000 Group 1 Tatt’s Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm, and for many the final race of their careers before embarking on a new career in the broodmare barn.