Peter Moody trained Mid Summer Music has taken out today’s feature race at Caulfield racecourse ahead of the gallant Rue Maple and the fast finishing in Stanzout in third.
Peter Moody praised the tenacity of Mid Summer Music after she toughed it out to land her first black-type success in the Group Three Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield.
Jockey Luke Nolen was caught four wide on the rising six-year-old mare who was having her first start at weight-for-age in Saturday’s 1200m feature.
After battling it out with Rue Maple ($8.50) all the way down the straight, Mid Summer Music ($1.75 fav) gained the upper hand in the final few metres to score by a short head.
Stanzout ($17), who was runner-up to Shoot Out in last year’s Bletchingly, was two lengths away third.
Michelle Payne, rider of the Darren Weir-trained Rue Maple, protested against the winner alleging interference from the top of the straight but it was dismissed by stewards.
“It’s been a tremendous ride. She won a maiden at Warracknabeal (at her debut) and I suggested to the owners that she might have had her birthday,” Moody said.
“But thanks to the insistence of Linda Meech (who rode her at Warracknabeal) and John Ivill, who is a friend of the owners, they suggested to me there was much more in her than what I saw .
“And lo and behold here we are 17 months later winning a Group Three.
“She has an unbelievable will to win and she belies her ability.”
The Oamaru Force mare has continued to progress since that Warracknabeal maiden and has taken her record to eight wins from 13 starts.
Mid Summer Music’s only previous black-type run resulted in an eighth to Beaded in the Group Three Hyderabad Race Club Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield in February.
She is in fine form this preparation with three wins and a close second to Perturbo in the All Victorian Sprint Series Final (1200m) at Flemington on July 9.
Moody said Mid Summer Music would have her next outing in the Group Three WW Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 16.
“Six furlongs (1200m) around here suits her and she’s shown she doesn’t need a swamp to win and she showed in the summer that her form was competitive and I think she’s certainly worthy of a crack at a race like the Cockram,” he said.
“She’s had that winter campaign so she won’t go too far into the spring but maybe something like a freshen and back for Sandown at the end of the spring.”
AAP TURF
