Jimmie, Star Racing Writer

GARY Subratie does seem to hold the aces in tomorrow's 1000 Guineas with ante-post favourite TREASURE GIRL and NIPHAL.

However, talk about everybody else running for second in the 2000 Guineas, behind his UNCLE KEN, is a bit over the top.

Simply put, UNCLE KEN might have powered away from TRADITIONAL PRINCE to win the 1400-metre Prince Consort Stakes on March 12, but that was not the best performance by a 2000 Guineas contender this season.

That title belongs to Anthony Nunes' SARAGOSSA who put American-bred EMPEROR HALL firmly into his place on March 2 at 1500 metres, blazing splits which had the previously unbeaten foreigner under the pump from three furlongs out when the pace quickened.

The baby splits of 24.4 and 48.4 in which UNCLE KEN turned for home third, chasing TRADITIONAL PRINCE and JUSTIN ON FIRE, was pedestrian compared to the 46.3 SARAGOSSA clocked when ripping apart EMPEROR HALL 10 days earlier.

UNCLE KEN's time in the Prince Consort Stakes was as good as his stablemate, NIPHAL, who won the Thornbird Stakes that day in the exact 1:28.1 - and she's not even the favourite to win the 1000 Guineas tomorrow.

If SARAGOSSA gets the Guineas distance tomorrow, which his pace should allow him to, it will be UNCLE KEN who will be running for second, not Nunes' far-striding colt, who Dick Cardenas only gave reminders a furlong and a half out when beating EMPEROR HALL.

SARAGOSSA's 1:34.1 for 1500 metres, behind a six-furlong split of 1:11.2, was a big run on March 2. No other runner went close to those splits that afternoon.

Andrew Ramgeet will break SARAGOSSA from post-position one, a perfect draw to hug the rail the entire trip and kick for home at the top of the lane after blinding rivals with speed.

TREASURE GIRL is the horse to beat in the 1000 Guineas but her stablemate, NIPHAL, won the Thornbird Stakes really strong, sharing 1:28.1 with UNCLE KEN on the day.

TREASURE GIRL appears to have worked better on Sunday morning, 1:15.4 for six furlongs, whereas NIPHAL was clocked in 1:17.3.

However, punters should recall that Subratie's method with NIPHAL, which worked in her first start for the trainer in the Thornbird Stakes, has been to cut back on speed gallops.

Therefore, heed the warning and do not underestimate NIPHAL.

Another horse to watch in the 1000 Guineas is Wayne DaCosta's LUSCIOUS. She threw in a clinker at 1500 metres on February 26 after a big run behind EMPEROR HALL a month earlier. Note how she has trained, two solid seven furlong gallops out of the mile chute, 1:29.0 and 1:29.3 on successive Sundays.