Peter Moody says smart filly Curtana won’t have it all her own way after striking a strong field of three-year-olds at Caulfield on Saturday.
The daughter of Exceed And Excel resumes in the Moorabbin Steel Plate (1000m) ahead of a Queensland campaign and will be ridden by leading apprentice Jake Noonan.
During the spring Curtana was runner-up to Star Witness in the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) on Derby day and backed up five days later to win the Listed Gucci Stakes (1200m) on Oaks day, both at Flemington.
“She’s a very nice filly, she did a good job late in the spring,” Moody said of the half-sister to the ill-fated Group Two Caulfield International Sprint winner Sunburnt Land.
“Unfortunately she sustained a minor injury and she had to have a long break over the summer months, hence her late resumption.
“She’s headed towards Queensland all being well. We just decided we wanted to give her one run here before we went north.
“She’s certainly got a class factor about her, being Group One-placed and a stakeswinner.
“She’s open to good improvement but we expect her to run very well, although this is a pretty strong race.
“General Truce has got the Black Caviar form, Black Caviar’s little brother Moshe, Breitling and a few others are there.
“This race wouldn’t be astray as a Listed or Group Three race during the middle of the carnival.”
Moody said how the speed of the race pans out would determine Curtana’s chances.
“I would think she’d probably be back off them a little bit from the draw (barrier eight of eight) and if she is closing strongly I’ll be more than happy,” he said.
The Robert Smerdon-trained Breitling resumes on Saturday having been gelded since losing form last spring.
The Lonhro three-year-old beat Soul when he won over 1000m at Caulfield at his second start last July and Soul went on to win the Group Two Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington in September.
AAP TURF
