MYBOYCHARLIE gelding Charlestown steps up to the mile in this weekend’s $400,000 Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton Park.

The Karaka 2012 graduate should be at his peak now after four solid runs back from a spell including a fast finishing third from last in the Listed Canterbury Stakes over the same course and distance as tomorrow’s feature.

Charlestown performed well as a two-year-old reaching Group 2 status when runner-up in the Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1200m) at Trentham.

The Lisa Latta trained 3YO is out of a More Than Ready mare just like Group 1 winners Rebel Dane and Miracles Of Life.

Charlestown faces some quality opposition in the Guineas notably from Mossman son Burnt Orange and Weregoingtogetcha by Testa Rossa.

‘CHARLIE FIRST CROP DOUBLE ON CUP DAY

PUNTERS who got behind Myboycharlie filly Our Penny Girl in Canberra or debutant All Great Friends in Brisbane ensured their Melbourne Cup day cupboard wasn’t left bare with both first crop 3yo’s saluting.

The Nick Olive trained Our Penny Girl started $3.20 favourite on the basis of a recent placing at only her second race start ahead of today’s triumph.
Our Penny Girl carries a 3 X 3 double cross of the immortal Danehill on either side of her pedigree.
Her dam, Penny Opera, was a smart mare in her day winning 5 races – 2 at 2 – and over $125,000.

Connections will have a potentially valuable broodmare once Our Penny Girl’s winning ways are through given her close family relationship to the likes of Glamour Puss, Vision And Power and Rare Insight whose own foals include the stakeswinner Steps In Time.  The 2yo half sister by Onemorenomore, Japanese Slipper finished 6th earlier in the day in the 7News Plate Gr.3 at Flemington.

Our Great Friends also started as favourite on debut at Doomben following a dominant four length trial win at the Gold Coast in late September.  The gelding won well by almost two lengths in good time and looks to have better things in store running the second fastest 1200 on the day.

Our Great Friends & Our Penny Girl is a member of former French 2YO Champion Colt Myboycharlie’s opening Australian crop which has brought forth stakeswinner Charlie Boy (Group 2 VRC Danehill Stakes) as well the mulitple stakesplaced Charlestown (2nd Group 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes) and Dowdstown Charlie (3rd The Rosebud).

He also sired the winner of the Adelaide Magic Millins 2YO Classic, Charles In Charge and Salai (Fr) the French-bred first crop 2YO which has already won a stakes race in France from only a handful of starts.