Already a stand-out in the looks department, White Moss has managed to garner a little extra attention after splitting top sprinters Nature Strip and Yes Yes Yes in a recent barrier trial.
And while Jason Coyle can understand why the snowy coloured mare has sparked interest, the trainer says her trials have been on par with what she has shown in the past.
“It was more the fact those horses were in the trial that everyone picked up on her, rather than her trialling against Bob’s Your Uncle,” Coyle said.
“She still trialled well but the fact those two horses are well known probably made her stand out a bit more.”
A three-time stakes winner in fillies and mares company, White Moss was unplaced in two weight-for-age Group One races during the Brisbane winter carnival.
Her connections opted to miss the spring and give her a lengthy spell, following a blueprint that worked 12 months earlier.
“It seems her best racing is done at this time of year,” Coyle said.
“The last time we took her up for the winter it didn’t quite work out. We gave her a long break and she came back and won two stakes races.
“We tried to go up for the winter again (last year) and it didn’t pan out so we did the same thing, left her out for longer and aimed her at the autumn.”
White Moss kicks off her latest preparation in Saturday’s Group Two Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Randwick against eight rivals, including defending titleholder Alizee, Golden Eagle winner Kolding and exciting three-year-old Standout.
Coyle earmarked the race as a first-up opportunity for the mare and was not counting on nominations being extended, nor three of the four late entries – Kolding, Vegadaze and Kiamichi – being paid up to run.
“You go through the history of the Expressway and generally it’s a pretty classy field but it can throw up a small field,” Coyle said.
“We were a little bit disappointed with the extended nominations given everyone had their chance to nominate but they were extended and we’ve got the extra runners there now.”
Golden Slipper winner Kiamichi was added after she impressed trainer James Cummings in a barrier trial on Tuesday.
She failed to fire in a brief spring campaign but Cummings is hoping she can recapture her juvenile form.
“She showed as a two-year-old that she was something of an iron filly and we’re looking forward to seeing her show that again,” Cummings said.
Cummings also has Alizee striving to become the first horse to win successive Expressways since Court’s In Session in 2005/06.
“She’s training really, really well – frighteningly well,” Cummings said.
Alizee is being considered for targets in Melbourne and Sydney including the All-Star Mile and George Ryder Stakes.
