Group One winner Eagle Falls heads the field for the 1000-metre sprint at Moonee Valley on Saturday as trainer David Hayes continues his quest for a dry track for the gelding.
The 2011 Oakleigh Plate winner’s return to racing has been delayed twice due to wet tracks in Melbourne and Hayes has said he will not run until he finds a suitable surface.
Racing returns to Moonee Valley after a four-month break with the track renovated following the end of the night racing season.
Among the 25 nominations for the open sprint is Freereturn whose last win was at the most recent Moonee Valley meeting on March 31.
The Jason Warren-trained gelding has had a mixed winter campaign since but showed a glimpse of his best with his last-start second to multiple stakes winner Golden Archer at Flemington on July 21 down the straight at Flemington.
“He went super at Flemington but just had the bad luck to run into a smart three-year-old of (Peter) Moody’s,” Warren said.
“He is right on the cusp of being at Listed level.
“He likes Moonee Valley so hopefully he can get back to his best there on Saturday.”
The Moody-trained One Last Dance is among the entries in the sprint after being off the scene for more than a year.
The winner of her only three starts, One Last Dance was withdrawn from the 2011 Blue Diamond with a possible $1 million bonus on the line when the trainer was unhappy with her condition.
She subsequently suffered a bout of colic which delayed her return to racing.
A track gallop on Tuesday morning will determine whether she takes her place on Saturday.
Also among the sprint entries is Ravenous Lass, winner of a barrier trial at Cranbourne on Monday where she finished ahead of such luminaries as Mosheen and Yosei.
The first Saturday meeting of the new season, the Moonee Valley meeting carries guaranteed prizemoney of $80,000 with two races, the open handicaps over 1600 and 2040 metres worth $100,000.
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