Jimmie, Star Racing Writer

CHAMPION trainer Wayne DaCosta holds the aces this Guineas weekend and should show his opening hand in Saturday's fillies' classic with EXOTIC GOLD, whose commanding performance in the Thornbird Stakes should see her heading to post as a 1-2 favourite.

Not only did EXOTIC GOLD humble Gary Subratie's Hotline Stakes winner and Thornbird favourite TRINITHETUTOR, DaCosta's grey had her rival's every move covered from the gate and was far stronger inside the final furlong of the 1400-metre event, winning by a length and a half.

Drawn wide alongside each other, TRINITHETUTOR at post-position 12 and EXOTIC GOLD at 13 in the 16-strong field for the season's first three-year-old classic, neither has any complaint for Saturday's rematch.

TRINITHETUTOR sat behind the pacesetter SHE'S TRADITIONAL in the Thornbird Stakes and kicked for home in the stretch run with EXOTIC GOLD hot on her heels off the final turn.

When DaCosta's runner drew alongside her in the final furlong, Omar Walker tried getting a rally out of TRINITHETUTOR, but there was no denying the grey who clocked an impressive 1:25.3, chasing splits of 23.3, 46.4 and 1:12.1 under Dane Nelson.

Subratie will be looking to TRINITHETUTOR's bullet workouts, plus a five-pound swing in the scale, hoping his speedster can beat EXOTIC GOLD as she did when they first met on February 18 in the Hot Line Stakes at 1200 metres.

However, with EXOTIC GOLD turning the table at 1400 metres in the Thornbird Stakes, an additional furlong plus an honest pace should again see DaCosta's runner coming out on top.

Walker will try rating TRINITHETUTOR to get a mile, but that only means EXOTIC GOLD will again be in close proximity down the backstretch and should have her measured once Nelson keeps the grey free of traffic problems.

TRINITHETUTOR will have plenty company on the lead - SPARKLE HAVEN, PHILISTIA, AWESOME CAMILLE, STAR FLYER and, if that trio fail to keep her on her toes, DaCosta's other entry, ANTOINETTE, will ensure EXOTIC GOLD gets to run how she likes - from just off the pace.

PHILISTIA is, indeed, an interesting entry, having not raced since caught on the line by the colt ALL CORRECT in December's one-mile Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes.

Beaten three-quarter length by ALL CORRECT, PHILISTIA had EXOTIC GOLD two and a quarter lengths behind in third. However, missing the Hotline and Thornbird prep races this season goes beyond training genius and Noel Ennevor will have to prove the sceptics wrong tomorrow.

PHILISTIA has looked nowhere as sharp at exercise as the runners who have been active this year and faces an uphill task to repeat her Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes feat.

Some pundits claim time only matters in jail. However, 1:25.3 in the Thornbird Stakes, much faster than the colts' 1:27.0 a week later in the Prince Consort Stakes, suggests EXOTIC GOLD has improved by leaps and bounds and should take no prisoners in Saturday's 1000 Guineas.