Dashing Dixie backs up in 2000 Guineas as Wexford sends three to Riccarton

Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott will start Dashing Dixie in Saturday’s Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas after the Alabama Express filly ran second in the 1000 Guineas last week.

Dashing Dixie stayed in Christchurch after going down by three quarters of a length to Angels Halo. She heads the TAB market at $4.50 against the colts and geldings. Lisa Allpress will ride her for the first time and she is one of Wexford Stables’ three runners in the NZ$700,000 Classic.

“We are backing the filly up and her form is best left-handed, hence why we have stayed down there to have another crack at running her in a Group One,” O’Sullivan told NZ Racing News. “She came through the run no problem at all. She has certainly done well, her weight is pretty similar, and she hasn’t taken a backwards step. She has thrived.”

Coniston, the Wootton Bassett colt who won the Group 2 Sarten Memorial at Te Rapa on October 26, shares the $5 second line of betting with Excite. Joe Doyle keeps the ride on Coniston, who has drawn the outside gate in the 10-horse field.

Champion jockey Craig Grylls rides the lightly raced Rip Tide ($11) from barrier one. The Ocean Park three-year-old won on debut at Taupo in September and then placed over 1400 metres at Matamata. He made up late ground to finish fourth behind Coniston in the Sarten.

“Both he and Rip Tide travelled down well, and they are fit and sound horses,” O’Sullivan said of Coniston and Rip Tide.