Trainer Peter Moody will divert his Group One attention from Black Caviar to Manighar and Lights Of Heaven in Saturday’s Doomben Cup.
Moody’s one regret going into the race is that the two have to race each other.
“They’re both going so well it’s a pity they have to clash in this race,” Moody said.
Moody won the Doomben Cup with Cinque Cento in 2007.
Imported gelding Manighar, who was formerly trained in England by Luca Cumani, won three successive Group Ones during the autumn – the Australian Cup at Flemington, the Ranvet Stakes and The BMW at Rosehill – before running second to to More Joyous in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick.
Lights Of Heaven’s stocks rose for the Doomben Cup following the mare’s narrow defeat by New Zealander Shez Sinsational in the Group Two Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast on May 5.
Lights Of Heaven was having just her second start back from a six-month spell in the Hollindale Stakes and has impressed Moody since her arrival in Queensland.
“Manighar’s run in the Queen Elizabeth was very good. He got trapped on the fence in a slowly run race,” Moody said.
“That won’t happen to him at Doomben and the mare ran super in the Hollindale.”
Manighar has been in Queensland for around 10 days and has settled in well in his new surroundings at Eagle Farm.
He is stabled with Moody’s close friend Desleigh Forster who also looked after Black Caviar when the champion mare was in Queensland last year for the Group One BTC Cup at Doomben.
Moody is yet to finalise his jockey arrangements for his Doomben Cup pair but expects Luke Nolen will take over from Damien Oliver on Manighar with Oliver to ride Lights Of Heaven who was partnered by Nolen in the Hollindale Stakes.
Moody took over the training of six-year-old Manighar following the gelding’s second to 2010 Melbourne Cup winner Americain in the Group Two Zipping Classic at Sandown in November.
Moody has managed to transform Manighar to suit Australian conditions after his dour fifth to Dunaden in last year’s Melbourne Cup.
“There’s no miracles to it but perhaps he enjoys the water here,” he said.
Moody is aware of the good form line from horses that run in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and hopes the trend continues.
Sarrerra, Intergaze and Might And Power have done the double in the past 14 years, while My Kingdom Of Fife was narrowly beaten last year.
