Kiwi visitor She’s Licketysplit (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) will face nine fillies in Wednesday’s Gr. 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield as she attempts to provide Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman with a slice of history.
New Zealand stables have routinely won Australia’s premier three-year-old events but the Thousand Guineas remains unconquered since the race was first held in 1946.
Forsman’s willingness to campaign She’s Licketysplit was rewarded with the Turn Me Loose filly claiming the Gr.2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on October 1.
The performance was enough to elevate She’s Licketysplit to Thousand Guineas favouritism, however rain on Wednesday morning saw the Peter Moody trained Boogie Dancer as the punter’s elect.
“It is more a case of a rain-affected track advantaging the threats in the race,” Forsman told RSN.
“It’s not that we won’t necessarily handle it, it’s just that there are two or three there that will probably hand it better than her.
“She looks in outstanding order and is probably the best she has been all preparation, so I don’t think she could be any better going into today.
“We just have to line up now and be positive, put her in the race and hope she can get the job done.
Forsman is hoping for a truly run mile, with She’s Licketysplit to take a prominent position.
Boogie Dancer, who has a strong rain-affected record, defeated She’s Licketysplit in the Gr.2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) but the Group One winning Kiwi did have to lump three kilos more on that occasion.
Bred by Dean Hawkins and good friend Nick Hewson, who are involved in her ownership with a group of close friends and family, Group One winner She’s Licketysplit is the best performer to date for exciting young stallion Turn Me Loose, who resides at Windsor Park Stud, where Hewson is the Nominations Manager.
