It was another frustrating defeat for Moravia at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday, but Michael Freedman is keeping the faith with his talented four-year-old and hopes the blinkers going back on will be the difference in Saturday’s Magic Millions Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast.
Twice Group placed as a three-year-old, Moravia has only won two from 16, beaten as a $1.65 favourite at Sunshine Coast last week after hitting the front and wandering, something Freedman hopes he can iron out.
“He’s got the blinkers back on Saturday. He hasn’t had the full set of blinkers for a while. He’s a very capable horse, sometimes he sort of has other ideas, I think. But he’s had a pretty good week so far this week, been keeping him nice and fresh,” Freedman said.
“Tommy (Berry) will be back on him. So, it’s obviously a pretty open race, I think and if the best of Moravia turns up, he’s very capable of knocking a race like that off.”
Moravia has worn blinkers on a few occasions, including when fourth, first up as a gelding in the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) eight months ago, and Freedman believes the later gelding operation may have contributed to the horse’s quirkiness.
“He just thinks a bit, there’s no doubt about it. We kept him a colt for a fair while because he was round about as a three-year-old in the Run To the Rose and the Golden Rose. He was a bit unlucky, but he’s a quirky animal, and you do get them from time to time,” Freedman said.
“On his day and when he puts it together, he’s more than capable.”
In a wide-open affair, Moravia is a $6 second favourite for the $2 million restricted listed contest, and has drawn barrier eight, in what will be Freedman’s only runner on the Magic Millions card. Charm Stone narrowly heads the market at $5.50.
