Above and Beyond out of reach

ABOVE AND BEYOND's Guineas' prep, a seemingly disappointing fourth-place finish behind colts and geldings, allowing them all weight, proved the undoing of the filly, who was returning off a four-month break and slowly into stride on a lightning-fast track.

Take nothing away from an improved ANOTHER AFFAIR, who, fitted with a tongue-tie and returning off a similar COVID-19 lay-up, slammed the colt KING ARTHUR and United States-bred BEST DAUGHTER EVER by almost 10 lengths at six and a half furlongs.

However, ANOTHER AFFAIR carried 110lb against local non-winners of two races and American maiden, BEST DAUGHTER EVER, who proved in her follow-up race that she definitely needed more real estate. Though ANOTHER AFFAIR had her way on the lead in moderate splits, 23.3 and 47.1, before slipping away up the straight, her 1:19.3 with 110lb would have been sorely exposed if pitted against the superior colts and geldings ABOVE AND BEYOND faced a level higher eight days later.

Hot favourite

After completing back-to-back wins by humbling NIPSTER at a mile on March 7, ABOVE AND BEYOND returned as the hot favourite four months later, running a half-furlong shorter. However, the filly was slowly into stride on the wrong day, asked to chase opening splits of 23.4, 34.3 and 46.1, which left her spent in fifth position turning for home.

Realising ABOVE AND BEYOND wasn't firing off the break and had got caught in a speed blitz led by EAGLE ONE, which NIPSTER took over and roared into the straight in 58.3, Shane Ellis didn't ask ABOVE AND BEYOND for much after that but the filly still managed to finish a respectable fourth under the circumstances.

Anthony Nunes took her back to the track eight days later and she galloped seven furlongs in 1:26.3, proving that she needed the run and will be hard to beat in the 1000 Guineas, sitting level with her peers, having run all her six career starts against top colts and geldings, including beating 2000 Guineas top contender MAHOGANY at six and a half furlongs.