With his major Cups and Cox Plate prospects sorted out and his big sprint candidates ticking over nicely, premier trainer Peter Moody turns his attention this weekend to everything in between.
Moody has a typically strong hand at each of the weekend’s three metropolitan meetings beginning with Moonee Valley on Friday night where the team is headed by King Diamond in the Group Three JRA Cup (2040m).
In a race shaping as a similar assignment to his latest outing when fourth to Precedence at the Valley earlier this month, King Diamond lines up with stablemate Guns At Five who beat him home in the same race.
But Moody believes King Diamond is the pick of the two.
“The way he worked this week makes me think he’s made the greater improvement,” Moody said.
Moody’s night begins with the quaintly-named Clinton Affair, who is out of the mare Watch My Lips.
A winner of his only two starts at the end of last autumn, Clinton Affair has impressed the trainer in his work this week and is confronted by only a couple of more highly-rated runners.
Ready To Rip is one of Moody’s proven sprinters whose outstanding fresh form entitles him to strong consideration in the Group Two Moir Stakes (1200m).
“He’s had a couple of weeks on the water walker and seems to have freshened nicely,” he said.
The ultra-durable Storm Burst represents the state’s leading stable in the Listed R M Ansett Classic (2413m) at Mornington on Saturday and Moody is looking for the mare to bounce back from an unlucky third in the Wyong Cup at her latest outing.
Moody admits to slight guilt as he acknowledges Saturday’s run will be her 12th this time in, but is equally amazed at her ability to hold her form.
“I’m waiting for her to put in a shocker and say `I’ve had enough’,” he said.
“But she continues to do well, which is quite amazing.”
The Moody weekend wraps up with Mr Make Believe and Moment Of Change in the Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Sunday.
Moment Of Change, who began his spring campaign in Sydney, has drawn the outside gate in the 15-horse field.
Other than for that, Moody believed he would have been well-suited after a first-up win at Warwick Farm and a third at the same track despite not handling the tight turns.
