KEY POINTS:
Whobegotyou came from well back to easily win the $A1 million Caulfield Guineas yesterday.
Jockey Michael Rodd was so taken with the victory in the Group One 1600m feature that he compared Whobegotyou to champion US 3-year-old Big Brown, the reigning Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner.
"It panned out perfectly from the half-mile (800m). I couldn't believe how easily he was going underneath me. He was just doing it too easily," Rodd said.
"I switched him into gear to make sure he didn't drop out too much and as soon as I did he was like Big Brown. He took care of them quite easily."
Rodd let the heavily-backed $A3 favourite, settle back in 13th place but he had the leaders covered on the home turn before sprinting away to a 3 1/4 length win over Time Thief with Von Costa De Hero 1 1/4 lengths away third.
Whobegotyou will miss the Cox Plate and start in the AAMI Vase and Victoria Derby.
Former New Zealander Alamosa will also not run in the Cox Plate despite posting his fourth Group One win in the Toorak Handicap.
Trainer Mick Price said Alamosa appealed as a handicapper and not a weight-for-age horse.Alamosa, who raced as a 2- and 3-year-old was given to Price this spring to train for the Cox Plate but he switched to a handicap campaign.
And a daring ride by James Winks helped him land his first Group One win in Melbourne aboard his favourite horse Douro Valley in the Yalumba Stakes.
Winks let the 7-year-old settle off race leader Casual Pass in the early stages but at the 1000m let him stride to a clear lead.
His connections are happy with his strong rehearsal for the Caulfield Cup next week.
- AAP
