Gold Coast Guineas

Winners and Past Results

The Gold Coast Turf Club plays host to the Gold Coast Guineas at the Gold Coast Racecourse, home to the Magic Millions, in May. FREE $250 Bet

The Group 3 race is for three year old horses run under set weight conditions. Horses travel a distance of 1200 metres on the sunny Gold Coast track for prize money worth $125,000.

The Group 2 Hollindale Stakes is also included in the day's card. Horses that perform well in the Gold Coast Guineas may tackle the Group 3 Fred Best Classic later in the season at Doomben. Over the years, a number of local horses from Brisbane and the Gold Coast area have made their mark on this sprint event. Gold Edition and El Cambio, winners in 2007 and 2008 respectively, retained their fine form in the Fred Best Classic while Leapfrog ran second in both events in 2009.

Sprinters may make their way to the Gold Coast Guineas from the 1200m listed Darby Munro at Rosehill Racecourse. Although placed tenth in the event in 2011, Military Rose led from start to finish in the Gold Coast Guineas in her next outing.

The Gold Coast Guineas is a relatively new race held since 2000. It remained a listed race until 2008 when it achieved Group 3 status due to the fine quality of sprinters entering the field. 2010 winner, Beethog, win the Currumbin RSL Handicap a week earlier on the same track.

Most trainers use this race as a springboard for tougher events during the Brisbane winter carnival. In 2009, Chakvetadze, had an incredible season winning the 1100 M The Good Guys Handicap at Doomben and 1200m Winning Edge Trophy Handicap at Eagle Farm prior to lifting the 2009 Gold Coast Guineas. Her winning streak continued when she came back in December in the 1010 M Big Screen Company Handicap at Doomben.

In 2008, El Cambio won the Group 2 Schweppes Royal Soverign Stakes over 1200m and runner up in the Group 2 Golden Rose Stakes over 1200m prior to claiming the Gold Coast Guineas in a record time of 1:07.9 seconds. A fortnight later he also won the 1350m Group 3 BTC Classic at Doomben. Classy Sprinter, Gold Edition, was victorious in the Group 2 Surround Stakes over 1400m at Warwick Farm Racecourse and runner up in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington Racecourse before winning the 2007 Gold Coast Guineas.

2012 Gold Coast Guineas

As the field settled, it was Didn'tcostalot who showed out early, setting the pace up front. Further back, but still handily placed, eventual winner Florentina was patiently ridden by Glyn Schofield. As the field straightened up for the run home, the early frontrunners ran out of gas which left the way clear for Florentina to pounce. Schofield hooked Florentina into the middle of the track and the filly showed plenty of dash to go clear, keeping up good momentum to score a comfortable victory by a length over Punch On, who had to work hard to hold off Double Impact who was a neck back in third.

2012 Gold Coast Guineas result

1. Florentina
2. Punch On
3. Double Impact

Then came:

4. Emmalene
5. Morning Captain
6. Extraceed
7. Kelbenjar
8. Didn'tcostalot
9. Show A Prince
10. Biggles
11. Easy Running
12. One To Go
13. State Of Wealth
14. Lucky Morna
15. Witches Wonder
16. Crystal Doll

Year	Winner	Status	Distance
2012	Florentina	Group 3	1200m
2011	Military Rose	Group 3	1200m
2010	Beethog	Group 3	1200m
2009	Chakvetadze	Group 3	1200m
2008	El Cambio	Group 3	1200m
2007	Gold Edition	Listed	1200m
2006	Fashions Afield	Listed	1200m