All-conquering trainer Peter Moody is the front runner to take over 10 boxes at Rosehill vacated by Tim Martin.
Australian Turf Club officials said they were considering applications from several trainers to acquire the stables from January 1 next year and confirmed Moody was among them.
They anticipate making an announcement next week but Moody is expected to be given a Sydney base.
That will be good news for Martin, a long-time friend of Moody who accommodates the Melbourne premiership winner on his visits to Sydney.
“I’ve known Peter for years and we get on well,” Martin said.
“He always stables with me when he comes up so the staff are familiar with the stables and the set-up, and his horses are familiar with the set-up.”
For Martin, who has trained the likes of Group One winner Exceed And Excel out of his Rosehill base, the decision to cut his numbers was a difficult one.
In trying to prevent owners from paying city fees when their horses weren’t up to metropolitan standard, he moved the horses on to country and provincial stables.
But he found that with the horses went the clients.
So Martin decided to take a fresh approach and concentrate on developing an elite stable.
“I thought I’d cut the team down and focus on a more select crew,” Martin said.
“I’m getting some quality horses around me and I’ve been working hard on doing that.”
Martin currently has around 20 horses in work but predicts that number will swell to 25 or 30 over the Christmas period.
He will be represented at Warwick Farm on Saturday by Group One placegetter Fibrillation who is being aimed at the Group Two Villiers Stakes in December.
AAP TURF
