Peter Moody has chosen to run four-year-old Nunthorpe in Adelaide on Saturday in preference to Victoria’s Good Friday feature in the hope of notching valuable black-type merit for the mare.
The $500,000 Country Discovery (1200m) at Yarra Valley was initially on Moody and co-trainer Katherine Coleman’s minds but the risk of not making the field, and finding a winnable race in the Listed Matrice Stakes (1200m) swayed the choice to head to South Australia on Saturday.
“With her rating she was a chance of not getting a run at Yarra Valley,” Moody said.
“She’s stakes placed but not a stakes winner so that could have held her back from getting a run on Good Friday.”
A winner of four races together with three placings in her nine starts, Nunthorpe comes off finishing second in the Listed Abell Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 1 and is the $3.20 favourite across markets.
Similarly for Quickster, the stable has chosen to scratch the three-year-old filly from Moonee Valley in favour of starting in the Listed Clare Lindop Stakes (1600m).
The $2 favourite for the Group 1 South Australian Oaks (2000m) lead-up, Quickster will be ridden by Will Price who will also take the ride on Nunthorpe.
