De La Terre is part-owned by multi-millionaire Lotto winner Lou Te Keeti but even after her Group 3 win she was an $18 chance with the TAB to win the Guineas.
Both Kahma Lass and Tokorangi were a lot shorter as was Bo Vitesse, who picked a classy way to leave maidens winning the Group 3 War Decree Stakes at Riccarton.
The half-sister to last season Guineas placegetter and subsequent Group 1 winner in Travelling Light, Vitesse Bo kept up a sustained run to wear down the more favoured geldings in Marine and Unition and that was enough to see her rated a $10 Guineas chance.
Miss Tycoon Rose, who bolted away with the first race at Riccarton, also looked a serious Guineas contender but even after all those impressive performances the day still finished with a dominant favourite for the classic.
That is diminutive Matamata filly Tinker Mcphee, who stormed into third behind Need I Say More in a race she couldn't win a long way from home.
Taken back from her wide gate she made up 10 lengths and ran past some high-class male gallopers to do so, and she will head to Riccarton the $2.80 favourite for the Guineas over Bonham ($6) and Cornflower Blue at $8.
Whatever happens at Riccarton it will be Tinker Mcphee's last start in New Zealand as she is scheduled to join the Chris Waller stable in Sydney immediately after.
Other major market movers on a busy day for bookmakers included northern mare Karolino, who overcame missing a gap in the home straight to win the Couplands Mile Trial at Riccarton, shot up the markets for that feature on November 11.
She is into $6 second favouritism behind Hypnos, who now leads betting at $5 after being $31 just over a week ago.
Probabeel beaten
A brave but blunted Probabeel had to settle for seventh in a rain-soaked Cox Plate in Melbourne.
The Kiwi mare looked a huge chance when she poured pressure on the leader at the 800m mark in the A$5 million race at The Valley but ultimately she struggled on the waterlogged track.
She fought doggedly, only losing fourth in the last few strides, but her winning chance had in reality disappeared when heavy rain fell in Melbourne overnight on Friday.
The most important weight-for-age race in Australasia was won by former Irish galloper Sir Dragonet.
Good enough to finish fifth in the English Derby at three, Sir Dragonet wouldn't have come cheap but earned A$3 million with his win and rider Glen Boss said he was hitting the line so hard he could be a genuine contender for the Melbourne Cup in nine days.
Boss only got the ride on Sir Dragonet when Hugh Bowman, who was booked for Sir Dragonet, was suspended.
