Madame Pommery’s Thousand Guineas

James McDonald and Chris Waller combined for their 26th Group 1 success when Madame Pommery claimed Wednesday’s $1 million Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield.

The three-year-old fillies feature was held on a deteriorating Heavy 10 surface, with Tim Clark allowed to set a slow speed aboard leader North Star Lass ($4.20).

The field packed up approaching the home turn, with Madame Pommery tracking North Star Lass into the race under McDonald, who stayed nearest the inside rail, albeit at least eight metres off the fence in the True position, to score by 1.5 lengths.

Revolutionary Miss ($21) sustained a wide run from the rear of the field for second, while She’s Licketysplit ($4.20) held her ground in third, finishing a further neck away.

Boogie Dancer ($3.60 favourite) tracked She’s Licketysplit into the race and appeared to have every chance, finishing fourth.

“At some point in time they’re going to overdo it (staying away from the inside rail) and I reckon that had come to the time and a lot of the races are pace-related as well,” McDonald said.

“I was very comfortable with where I was, it was so economical tucked away where I was, a Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained runner (North Star Lass), ridden by Timmy Clark, was always going to get to the right spot at the time.

“He took me to the right spot at the right time and my filly was classy enough to get the job done.

“Chris (Waller) has had a lot of faith in this filly and hence why he brought her down and he asked me to come down. He said she would be very hard to beat and he was quietly confident.”

Madame Pommery was having her first left-handed start in the Thousand Guineas, having contested the three legs of the Princess Series in Sydney – finishing fifth in the G2 Furious Stakes (1200m), second in the G2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) and sixth in the G1 Flight Stakes (1600m) on rain-affected tracks.

“She skipped though it okay, she ran the mile out very strongly and she was the right filly on the day,” McDonald said.

“She had the superior form coming through, albeit a fair way off the top fillies in Sydney, but she had excuses on those wet tracks.”

Madame Pommery is by No Nay Never out of Exceed And Excel mare Cancel, a sister to Blue Diamond Stakes winner Earthquake. She was purchased for $150,000 from last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.