Peter Moody has three acceptors in Saturday’s $175,000 Santa Ana Lane Series Final at Flemington, but how many of them turn into starters is unlikely to be known until race morning.
Black Caviar’s daughter Invincible Caviar, the in-form Sigh and talented five-year-old Dance To Dubai are all in the field of 14 for the 1200-metre Listed event but not yet confirmed runners.
Moody’s assistant trainer Katherine Coleman, who is steering the Pakenham stable with the champion horseman in England, is weighing up whether Sigh deserves a crack at even higher grade next week and is monitoring the track condition with the other two.
Invincible Caviar, like Dance To Dubai, is not at her best on wet tracks and Coleman said the daughter of I Am Invincible, who last-start finished fifth of eight in the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes on a Soft 6 track, was unlikely to run unless the track was better than that.
“We won’t run her on anything worse than a Soft 5, she just needs that dry track to show her best,” Coleman said.
Sigh is on the cusp of a winning hat-trick, but the stable is toying with the idea of giving her a shot at Saturday week’s $200,000 Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield while she is in form.
“It looks a nice race for her but, in saying that, we’re also bearing in mind that a week later there’s a Black Type race at Caulfield, which would give her three weeks between runs,” Coleman said.
In an ominous warning for Saturday’s rivals if she does run, Coleman said Sigh had come on from the last-start win over General Beau and Zac De Boss, which was her second straight win this campaign at Saturday’s venue.
“She had to really tough it out, which was nice to see, and she looks even better now than what she did leading into that run,” Coleman said.
“She’s got the best coat in the stable. She’s absolutely glowing.”
Carleen Hefel retains the ride on Sigh, who has drawn barrier six, a new rider will be required for Invincible Caviar with Linda Meech ruled out due to injury and Will Price has the job aboard Dance To Dubai.
