Day of the underdog: Channon’s Ollie Olga 33/1 too long in 1000 Guineas

Mick Channon has his share of experience in training Group-1-winning milers, having landed the Falmouth Stakes with Music Show, the Sun Chariot Stakes with Majestic Roi and the St James’ Palace Stakes with Zafeen and last year he added a first classic to his creaking trophy cabinet when his 12/1 shot Samitar took the Irish Guineas. This term his 33/1 shot Ollie Olga lurks towards the bottom of the 1000 Guineas betting at an attractive price given her achievements in 2012.

The Stormy Atlantic filly went undefeated until her fourth and final run of the campaign, when she finished last of the six in the Group 1 Shadwell Fillies Mile won by the now-banned Certify. Never looking settled that day, she ran a long way below the level expected of her as 7/2 second favourite, never settling into a rhythm for a prolonged period.

It later transpired she’d come into season a few weeks prior to the race, which may have been partly to blame, with her jockey also suggesting to the Racing Post that the course may not have agreed with his mount.

Given the course in question was Newmarket’s Rowley Mile – on which the 1000 Guineas is contested – this might seem to be cause for concern, however she’d scored at the same track two starts back previously.

Ollie Olga then went on to beat Sky Lantern – who had been vying for Guineas favouritism for most of the summer before being downed by Hot Snap in the Nell Gwyn Stakes – by half a length over 7f on good-to-soft ground at Goodwood – form that entitles her to be issued a similar price to that rival, currently 10/1 for the classic with Coral.

American-bred fillies such as this Channon three-year-old have a superb record in the 1000 Guineas over the last decade, claiming four winners and three places from just 16.5 per cent of the total runners.

Her sire Stormy Atlantic has previously begat Get Stormy, with that one going on to land multiple Group 1 and Group 2 races over 1m and 1m1f, meaning that she’s entitled to be staying on towards the end of the 1m classic far better than she did in her last, unsatisfactory outing at Newmarket.

Looking like a horse forgotten by the market on the back of one poor showing, Ollie Olga could be primed to out-run her 33/1 price for the each-way thieves.