The Golden Slipper victor, Guest House, shattered a 35-year hoodoo and a nearly two-decade-old track record in a stunning return to racing at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Guest House, with jockey Zac Lloyd aboard, navigated a tight gap along the inside rail in the home straight before surging clear to win the Group 3 $250,000 San Domenico Stakes (1100m).
The imposing colt, conservatively valued at $30 million, is now being considered for an unprecedented Group 1 sprint treble encompassing the $1 million Golden Rose (1400m), the $20 million The TAB Everest (1200m), and the $2 million Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m).
If any three-year-old is capable of conquering these three major sprints, it is Guest House, who possesses both significant stature and exceptional talent.
Trainer Mick Price expressed his admiration for both Guest House and his promising young jockey, Zac Lloyd.
“Amazing win by a very good horse,” Price said. “You might even think he has improved from his (Golden) Slipper to come out here over 1100m and do what he did.
“He had to race so genuine as Blue Door was holding the fence and Zac just owns these races, he comes out and writes his own story.
“I thought as long as the horse is running on I would be happy as the race did set up well for the favourite (Blue Door).
“I didn’t give Zac any instructions. I knew what I wanted and I asked him what he thought.
“He said one of two things will happen. If he bounces out I will go with him but if he takes 50-60m to get going I will ride a race.
“If I hear the right thing I don’t interfere – and I heard the right thing.”
Guest House ($7) trailed leader Blue Door ($1.95 favourite) along the rails into the straight. Lloyd then urged his colt to push through the narrowest of openings inside the front-running filly.
Despite minimal space and the inside rail buckling, Guest House displayed remarkable determination to force his way through and win by a length and a quarter. Blue Door held on for second, with Music Time ($12), a previous Golden Slipper placegetter, a further length behind in third.
The impressive Guest House, a son of former sprinter Home Affairs, has now secured three wins and two placings from his five starts, setting multiple historical records.
Guest House achieved the Golden Slipper-San Domenico Stakes double, a feat not seen since Tierce in 1991.
His winning time of 1 minute 02.41 seconds for the 1100m at Rosehill erased Westicaro’s 2007 track record of 1 minute 02.51 seconds.
Furthermore, Guest House became the first Golden Slipper-winning colt or gelding to triumph as an older horse since Pierro in 2012.
TAB Fixed Odds reacted by firming Guest House to $3 favouritism for the upcoming Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill on September 26, and also positioning him as a $13 third favourite for The Everest.
Tom Magnier, a co-owner of Guest House and a figurehead at Coolmore Stud, indicated that the colt is a strong contender for their Everest slot.
“I came here today under the impression the 1100m would be a bit too short for him but he blew those expectations out of the water,” Magnier stated. “This wasn’t his end goal but to come here and win so well and break a track record, it is very exciting.”
Talented young jockey Zac Lloyd, who also rode a Rosehill treble including wins on Aethelwulf and Epsom Handicap hopeful Althoff, commented on Guest House’s bravery in taking the inside run.
“I knew at the 400m, the way he was coping with that speed, he was just ready to go,” Lloyd explained. “And I needed a run, but I knew I had a very good horse underneath me so I wasn’t rushing.
“Tommy (Berry on Blue Door) gave him just enough room, and those horses, you give them a message, they’re straight in there.
“It was fantastic, and he’s actually done that quite comfortably, a perfect first-time run for him.
“He’s a big, robust colt and he’s only going to get better with every run. For him to do that at 1100m, it’s very exciting.”
Price added that Lloyd was well-placed on Guest House to take the tight inside passage.
“If you have the right motor and right horse it is a lot easier than if you are not on the bridle – gee, he’s a good colt,” Price remarked. “I want him in the zone for the three races that makes a colt’s (stud) career.
“The Golden Rose, The Everest and the Coolmore – they are three races I want him to be in the zone.
“I thought 1100m was a bit short for him first-up, I did feel, but that is just how good he is.
“Someone said ‘could you win the Caulfield Guineas with this’ and that could happen but you can’t run him in everything.
“He’s just a gun colt and very happy that Coolmore have backed him – he’s just fantastic.”
Punters can get the latest racing odds for upcoming feature races at leading Australian betting sites.