Sydney-Melbourne rivalry is to the fore ahead of Wednesday's Thousand Guineas at Caulfield with the form of star filly Samantha Miss being questioned in her absence.Samantha Miss has dominated the Sydney spring races for fillies, so much so she is on her way to the Cox Plate.Portillo, Glowlamp, Kimillsy and Love And Kisses have each recorded second placings to her in the four-race Princess Series which culminated in the Group One Flight Stakes.The four will line up against the southern brigade i

Sydney-Melbourne rivalry is to the fore ahead of Wednesday's Thousand Guineas at Caulfield with the form of star filly Samantha Miss being questioned in her absence.

Samantha Miss has dominated the Sydney spring races for fillies, so much so she is on her way to the Cox Plate.

Portillo, Glowlamp, Kimillsy and Love And Kisses have each recorded second placings to her in the four-race Princess Series which culminated in the Group One Flight Stakes.

The four will line up against the southern brigade in Wednesday's Group One with trainer David Hayes, who has three runners, questioning their ability.

"Samantha Miss is so dominant she is either a freak or the Sydney fillies are ordinary and I'm counting on them being ordinary," Hayes said.

At $16 with TAB Sportsbet, Oval Affair is the most favoured of the Hayes trio with the Lee Freedman-trained Romneya heading markets at $5 ahead of Gallica ($6) and Portillo ($6.50).

Oval Affair will be ridden by Craig Williams who won the race on Miss Finland two years ago while stablemates Taameer ($18) and Arms Wide Open ($31) will have the services of Brad Rawiller and Vlad Duric respectively.

Kerrin McEvoy had the choice of riding Romneya or Portillo and chose the latter with both horses raced by Sheikh Mohammed.

Romneya will be ridden by Dwayne Dunn while Portillo is trained by the Sydney-based Peter Snowden.

"I'm banking on the Sydney form not being strong," Dunn said.

McEvoy rode Romneya when she finished fourth to Gallica in the Edward Manifold but opted for Portillo who was ridden by Rodney Quinn when second to Samantha Miss in the Flight Stakes.

Michelle Payne will be aboard Sparks Fly ($12) and will be attempting to become just the third Australian woman to ride the winner of a Group One race after Clare Lindop rode Exalted Time to win the 2006 Adelaide Cup and Nikita Beriman partnered Tears I Cry to success in last year's Emirates Stakes.

Sparks Fly is trained at Cranbourne by Mick Kent and finished third in the Edward Manifold at Flemington after winning the Lindsay Park Guineas in Adelaide.