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Lightly-raced Bombalatomba will take on the three-year-old heavyweights in the Australian Guineas at Flemington.
The recent shock defeats of Helmet and Mosheen have given trainer Chris Hyland the confidence to run lightly raced three-year-old Bombalatomba in the Australian Guineas.
Bombalatomba fuelled hopes he would be competitive in next Saturday's $750,000 Guineas (1600m) at Flemington with an eye-catching fifth in Caulfield's Group Two Autumn Stakes (1400m) on February 11 and Hyland now believes the race is more open than ever.
Caulfield Guineas winner Helmet was $1.65 favourite when he resumed in the C S Hayes Stakes (1410m) at Flemington on February 11 but could only finish fifth to That's The One while Mosheen was $1.45 when a close second to Shopaholic in The Vanity (1410m) the same day.
Helmet ($2.80) and Mosheen ($6.50) remain the two favourites for the Guineas while Bombalatomba is $16 with TAB Sportsbet.
"We are going to roll the dice and have a go at the Guineas," Hyland said.
"We wanted to see how Helmet and Mosheen went the other day and while they still ran well it probably showed that the Guineas is going to be pretty open.
Hyland said Bombalatomba was an immature horse but he has always liked him as an autumn prospect and the Guineas was pencilled in for him last month.
He said the Autumn Stakes was a hard race for him to win without a genuine race tempo but he still ran well, making up a lot of ground to be beaten just two lengths by Helmet's stablemate Pied A Terre.
"It was a good run and with a bit of luck coming from well back he could have run into the placings," Hyland said.
"We have always had a good opinion of him and he is going as good as he can at the moment so it is the right time to give him his chance in some good races."
Hyland said there no plans to look beyond a Melbourne autumn campaign with Bombalatomba and the Group Two Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley on March 16 was his possible campaign finale.
Anthony Cummings will give Saturday's Rosehill winner Fontelina and Strike The Stars, winner of the Group Three Gloaming Stakes in the spring, their chance at the Guineas.
The pair were due to leave Sydney on Sunday night for Melbourne.
