Molly Nails the Canberra Guineas Preview

The Casino Canberra Canberra Guineas Preview gave the punters a great appetiser for Canberra’s premier 3-year-old race on TAB Canberra Cup Day, Monday 8th March. The $150,000 Listed Iron Jack Canberra Guineas will as always attract strong Sydney talent including the already qualified Yaletown. From the Waterhouse & Bott yard who strike at over 28% this season at Thoroughbred Park, Yaletown is a Vancouver gelding on the up.

Standing in his and the rest of the city brigade’s way is the local Molly Nails. The Matthew Dale-trained filly who just beat home Yaletown in the Guineas Preview has big wraps on her and it is no wonder given her seven & a half length win in her first up assignment at Wagga. Her victory in the Casino Canberra Canberra Guineas Preview sees her exempt from the Iron Jack Canberra Guineas ballot and Matthew Dale is confident his long term plan has been the right one.

“The Canberra Guineas has been the aim with Molly Nails for a while now” Dale said. “It was three weeks between her first and second up runs and she definitely needed the run at 1400m.”

“She’s going to take a lot out of that run and although she only just fell in, she’ll be better in the Guineas.”

Dale stopped short of spruiking his filly’s chances in races beyond the Iron Jack Canberra Guineas but is adamant he has a talented horse on his hands.

“She’s a filly heading in the right direction that’s for sure. Into Stakes grade, this will give us a great gauge of where she is at and will determine the plan with her heading forward.”

The Iron Jack Canberra Guineas hasn’t been won by a locally trained horse since 2015 when Matthew Dale’s Rom Baro took out the event. Rom Baro was then sold to Hong Kong and renamed Kingsfield. Kingsfield went on to win over $1m throughout his career.

 

Pictured: Molly Nails (outside) just gets her head down to beat Yaletown in the Casino Canberra Canberra Guineas Preview. Photo credit: Bradley Photos