More than three decades after he tasted Villiers Stakes success as a jockey, Kevin Moses is striving to do the same as a trainer on Saturday.
The Randwick horseman will saddle up All Legal, a $16 chance in the feature race of Sydney’s summer carnival and somewhat of an omen bet.
Moses won the 1979 renewal aboard King’s Ideal, 12 months after another top jockey, Ron Quinton, claimed the first of his three Villiers aboard Dear John.
Last year Quinton won the race with Monton for the first time as a trainer and Moses hopes to follow suit.
The pair have a rivalry borne out of competing in the same eras as jockeys and then trainers.
But they also have a strong friendship.
“I had Christmas lunch with Ron on Monday,” Moses said.
“Greg and Jimmy Lee, who both rode at the same time as well and are now training, were there. Craig Carmody was there, all the jockeys who are now training so we still get on well.
“But there is nothing I like more than beating any of them.”
A three-time winner over the 1600m Villiers journey, All Legal finished less than two lengths from winner Malavio in the Festival Stakes last start.
He has a reasonable draw in nine and will carry 54kg with jockey Glyn Schofield given permission to ride a half kilo over.
In a Villiers field billed as one of the strongest in years, Moses concedes All Legal will need all the breaks to go his way.
“He’s only small and he’s done a grand job to get to where he has,” Moses said.
“He cost $25,000 and he’s won over $400,000 so I couldn’t be any happier with the horse.
“He is probably just two lengths off being able to win a race like this but he tries so hard every time he goes around and you never know.”
Among those opposing All Legal at Warwick Farm will be the Quinton-trained Monton.
The gelding will be attempting to become the first horse to win the Group Two race twice since its inception.
He overcame barrier 15 and topweight of 58kg to score last year.
This time around he has gate four and one kilo more and Quinton believes the six-year-old is going at least as well as 12 months ago.
“He might be going even better,” Quinton said.
