It’s the turn of three-year-olds to take centre stage at Belmont on Saturday with the running of the Listed Belmont Guineas, run over 1600m. Below is an overview of the race’s history.
BACKGROUND
The Belmont Guineas was first staged in 1980 and won by Queen Inca, ridden by Mark Grisby and trained by Colin Webster. Elorance ran second and Given Vision placed third.
Queen Inca also won the Champion Fillies Stakes and the WA Oaks.
Queen Inca carried 54kg, ran 1.39.86sec for the 1600m, commenced from barrier nine in a field of 15 starters and was sent out as a 9/2 chance.
TRAINERS
Modern day trainers Lou Luciani, Fred Kersley, Adam Durrant and Grant and Alana Williams are two-time winners of the Belmont Guineas.
Luciani: Key Target (1997) & Lady Fidelia (2000).
Kersley: Mr Diagnosis (2006) & Grand Nirvana (2009).
Durrant: Summah’s Touch (2013) & Tick Tick Bloom (2014).
Grant & Alana Williams: State Prosecutor (2018) & Mystery Miss (2019).
JOCKEYS
Paul Harvey and William Pike are the most successful riders in the Belmont Guineas with four winners
Harvey won his first on Just Jugah (1996) and followed up with Siranto (1999), Mr Diagnosis (2006) & Cohort (2008).
Pike opened his Belmont Guineas record aboard The Underworld (2011) and continued later with Tick Tick Bloom (2014), State Prosecutor (2018) and Mystery Miss (2019).
WA Hall Of Fame inductee Rod Kemp, Peter Knuckey and Glenn Smith are next with three wins apiece.
Kemp: Art Roy (1983), Concrete (1985) & Executive Class (1986).
Knuckey: Advise Me (1992), Lady Fidelia (2000) & Volition (2005).
Smith: Lady Knockout (2002), Coppertito (2004) & Rohan (2012).
Stephen Miller has three wins in the Belmont Guineas. Twice as a jockey: Perfect Answer (1989) & Final Impact (1993). He also won it as a trainer with Variation (2017).
BARRIERS
Barrier nine: six wins.
Barrier eleven: five wins.
Barrier two: four wins.
Barrier three: four wins.
Barrier eight: four wins.
Barriers 12 & 14 have recorded no wins.
GENDER
Geldings have won 19 editions of the Belmont Guineas including four out of past five years.
Fillies have been successful on 14 occasions, the previous Kay Cee (2020).
Six colts have won the Belmont Guineas
FASTEST TIME
Jungle Myth: 1.35.78sec in 1988.
LEAD IN RACE
Since 2000 18 of the 21 winners have either won or were placed at their previous starts.
Summah’s Touch and Rohan won first-up.
Variation (5th), Tradesman (6th) and Lady Fidelia (4th) were unplaced before the Belmont Guineas.
LONGEST PRICED WINNER
Lady Knockout (2002) 40/ 1
WINNERS SINCE 2000
| 2020 | Kay Cee | Steven Parnham | Neville Parnham |
| 2019 | Mystery Miss | William Pike | Grant & Alana Williams |
| 2018 | State Prosecutor | William Pike | Grant & Alana Williams |
| 2017 | Variation | Brad Parnham | Stephen Miller |
| 2016 | Great Shot | Craig Staples | Rhys Radford |
| 2015 | Tradesman | Troy Turner | Rob & Todd Harvey |
| 2014 | Tick Tick Bloom | William Pike | Adam Durrant |
| 2013 | Summah’s Touch | Ben Paterson | Adam Durrant |
| 2012 | Rohan | Glenn Smith | Vaughn Sigley |
| 2011 | The Underworld | William Pike | Chris Gangemi |
| 2010 | Mighty Rossa | Shaun O’Donnell | Michael Grant |
| 2009 | Grand Nirvana | Dan Staeck | Fred Kersley |
| 2008 | Cohort | Paul Harvey | Ivan Haggerty |
| 2007 | Joey Jo Jo | Troy Turner | Bill Pope |
| 2006 | Mr Diagnosis | Paul Harvey | Fred Kersley |
| 2005 | Volition | Peter Knuckey | Paul Jordan |
| 2004 | Coppertito | Glenn Smith | Michael Lane |
| 2003 | Creatrix | Shaun McGruddy | Clayton Scoby-Smith |
| 2002 | Lady Knockout | Glenn Smith | Warwick Bradshaw |
| 2001 | Shot Of Thunder | Paul King | David Edwards |
| 2000 | Lady Fidelia | Peter Knuckey | Lou Luciani |
Julio Santarelli
www.rwwa.com.au