Trainer Mike Moroney is banking on a course of dressage having the desired effect on Not An Option when he travels to Adelaide for The Goodwood.
Not An Option will be going into Saturday’s Group 1 1200m sprint at Morphettville having not raced in four weeks after finishing third behind Jigsaw in the Listed Hareeba Stakes (1200m) at Mornington.
Moroney said he had used dressage often with his horses as a way of freshening their mind from the rigours of the stable environment.
“He came back into the stable last week,” Moroney said.
“We had a bit of time between runs, so it gave us an opportunity to do something different with him.”
Moroney explained jockey Jake Noonan’s partner, who rides trackwork at his Flemington stable, has worked with Not An Option on his dressage.
“They’ve got a property down Mornington way,” Moroney said.
“She has ridden work for me for years and she takes a lot of our retired ones, does them up and then sells them on and she’s a very good show rider.
“He (Not An Option) loves it and it’s a bit of a change for him. He’d been in the stable for a while and had done a bit of racing, so we often do a bit of dressage with him for a bit of a change.”
Not An Option defeated Cardinal Gem and Pinstriped over 1400m at Flemington in March before finding the soft conditions against him when fifth in the Group 3 Victoria Handicap (1400m) at Sandown last month, before producing his placing at Mornington.
Moroney still has memories of last year’s Goodwood when Not An Option finished sixth behind Lombardo, beaten 3-¾ lengths.
“He was pretty luckless in it last year and I don’t think it is a stronger version this year,” Moroney said.
“He certainly deserves his chance, especially if he can get some good ground. He’s come back well and we’re hoping he might have a bit of luck this time around.”
