Racing: Maiden has had careful preparation for Guineas

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Careless is a maiden 3-year-old but the Godolphin team rates him a genuine chance to build on an impressive Sandown Guineas haul for owner Sheikh Mohammed.

When Peter Snowden was in charge of Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation in Australia, Caymans (2008), Kidnapped (2009), Tatra (2012) and Paximadia (2013) all won the Sandown Guineas.

John O'Shea is now the head trainer for Sheikh Mohammed under the Godolphin banner and today's edition has been a long-range target race for Careless.

"We've had great success in the race and I'd say Careless would measure up in terms of ability with most of those winners," Godolphin racing manager Jason Walsh said.

"So while he's still a maiden we think he's definitely got stakes ability and we expect him to be competitive again there on Saturday."

A Brisbane winter campaign for Careless culminated in a fifth in the JJ Atkins Stakes (1600m), finishing within 1 lengths of Almalad and Brazen Beau.

His four-start spring campaign has included a Caulfield placing and a fifth in the Carbine Club Stakes at Flemington, where he found the line after getting back from the outside barrier.

The Carbine Club is usually a strong pointer to the Sandown Guineas with 13 winners coming out of that race during the past 30 years.

Walsh said consideration was given to running Careless in the WA Guineas this month but he will remain in Melbourne for today's A$300,000 race after drawing well in barrier five.

Kerrin McEvoy won the Guineas four times on the Darley horses but now as a freelance jockey he'll be in an opposing camp today, when he rides the Darren Weir-trained favourite Stratum Star.

A dual listed winner before being chased down by Kermadec in the Carbine Club Stakes, Stratum Star is at $2.70 ahead of last-start Bendigo maiden winner Rekindled Power ($3.80).

The undefeated Lord Aspen is at $4.60 with the Peter Moody-trained Ducal Castle ($8.50) and Careless ($9) also under double figure odds.

- AAP