Flit and Lyre hold a strong grip on G1 Thousand Guineas

The disappointment that accompanied Flit’s G1 Thousand Guineas lead-up is set to be translated into a blessing when she lines up in Saturday’s feature at Caulfield.

Flit is joined in the Thousand Guineas by her James Cummings-trained stablemate Tenley (Kerrin McEvoy) and Lyre (Mark Zahra) from the Anthony Freedman stable, with Godolphin also to be represented by Subedar in the G1 Caulfield Guineas.

Flit (Hugh Bowman) finished ninth in the G2 Guineas Prelude having failed to secure clear running at any stage over the final 200m.

“At the time it was hard to take, but as far as Saturday’s race goes, it could be a positive,” said trainer Cummings.

“If she wins this race I’ll be thankful for the run she had in the Prelude where she was jogging and was an inch off getting the run.

“Everything has gone smoothly since then and she comes to the Thousand Guineas in very good order.”

So highly does the team regard Flit that thought was given to running her against the colts in the G1 Caulfield Guineas on the same card.

Tenley also held an entry in the Caulfield Guineas, but will join Flit and Lyre in the fillies’ race.

“There had been a thought of running them in the Guineas against the colts, but we’ve decided to take the more conservative, rational approach,” he said.

“As it is, the two races are fairly similar in strength, but we feel this is the correct way to go.”

For Lyre, there has only ever been one spring target and the Freedman team goes into the race with a filly who is peaking at the right time, who should be perfectly suited by the 1,600m and who is the only G1 winner in the race, having won last season’s Blue Diamond Stakes.

“This is the trip she’s been looking for,” said assistant trainer Sam Freedman.

“Even in her first run back at 1,200m she looked like she needed 1,400m, now the 1,600m looks ideal for her.”

“She’s a proven G1 performer who has been set for this race.”

Subedar, a son of the champion sprinter Sepoy and the speedy mare Virage De Fortune, will be out to defy his breeding over the 1,600m of the Caulfield Guineas.

“He’s bred to be no more than a six-furlong horse, so we’re comfortable to keep him to the mile here rather than go to the 2,000m of Spring Champion Stakes,” Cummings said.

“The Gloaming was his chance to let us know if he could get a longer trip.”

“But he left us a little unconvinced, so we’ve taken this route.”

Meanwhile, two-year-olds Final Song, Platinum Star, Lazuli and Ickworth all aim for a first G3 success on day one of Newmarket’s Dubai Future Champions Festival on Friday.

Final Song (Saeed bin Suroor/Oisin Murphy) steps up to seven furlongs in the G3 Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes following three excellent performances over shorter.

The Dark Angel filly made a winning introduction over five furlongs at Ascot in May and was narrowly beaten over the same course and distance when third in the G2 Queen Mary Stakes at the Royal meeting. She also finished third on her latest outing in the six-furlong G2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket’s July Meeting.

Suroor said: “We gave Final Song a long break after the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes but she has been working well recently. She will be fine over seven furlongs and I am looking for another good run from her.”

Platinum Star (Saeed Bin Suroor/Oisin Murphy), Lazuli (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) and Ickworth (Willie McCreery/Billy Lee) line up in the G3 Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes over five furlongs.

Like Final Song, Platinum Star also posted superb efforts at both Royal Ascot and the July Meeting at Newmarket, taking second in both the five-furlong Listed Windsor Castle Stakes and the six-furlong G2 July Stakes, when he went down by a short head.

The Lope De Vega colt faded to fifth behind Pinatubo in the G2 Vintage Stakes over seven furlongs at Glorious Goodwood at the end of July but quickened strongly for an easy win in a six-furlong Listed race at Ripon in August.

Suroor said: “Platinum Star won nicely last time out at Ripon and came out of the race in good form. This is a step back up in class but he shows plenty of speed in his races and should be fine over five furlongs.”