By Heather Anderson
The $1.70 morning line favourite Prom Queen (NZ) (Super Easy {NZ}) has only tasted defeat once in her nine-start career, and she will attempt to add a first top-level victory to her burgeoning resume in Saturday's G1 Gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas at Riccarton Park. The 1600-metre distance will also be new for the Ken, Lisa Rae and Krystal Williams trainee, but she's rattled off a brace of Group 3 victories in her latest two trips to the post, in the Northland Breeders S. at Ruakaka on Sept. 16 and the John Grigg S. at Ashburton defeating G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas runner-up Age Of Fire (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), on Oct. 21.
Dijon Bleu (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) is also on an upward trajectory, saluting in Wanganui's O'Learys Fillies S. going 1200 metres in heavy ground on Sept. 13, before adding the G3 Gold Trail S. at Hastings on Sept. 23. Trained by Lisa Latta, the brown filly made it three in a row when first past the post in Ellerslie's Soliloquy S. on Oct. 28, with Contessa Vanessa (NZ) (Bullbars {Aus}) running fourth that day.
Te Akau Racing is looking for their fifth 1000 Guineas, as Embellish (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}) got the job done in the colts' equivalent at Riccarton last weekend. Swing Note (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) will carry their distinctive tangerine silks and is the lone representative for co-trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards in the field. She ran third in the Oct. 28 Zacinto S. to Ever Loyal (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}), who filled that spot himself in the 2000 Guineas.
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