Australia’s leading trainer Peter Moody won his first Group One race of the season and staked a claim for another when Moment Of Change scored a stunning win in Sunday’s Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
Moody took special satisfaction from Moment Of Change’s success, which came after the horse began his campaign in Sydney where he won a Listed race and was placed in the Group Three Tramway Handicap.
Moment Of Change winning the Clamms Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield - photo by Race Horse Photos Australia
“He’s a bloody good horse, that was a super win,” Moody said.
“He won at Warwick Farm despite not handling the track and then he had a wide gate there last time and still ran very well.”
Moody considered running the gelding in Saturday’s Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick, but the difficulties he had racing left-handed influenced him to return to Melbourne.
Having dodged Sydney’s big spring mile, Moment Of Change will tackle one of Melbourne’s major races over the same distance, the Group One Toorak Handicap.
Moment Of Change ($4.40) earned added credit on Sunday by coming from barrier 15 and pushing forward from the start to sit behind the early leader, his stablemate Mr Make Believe.
Jockey Luke Nolen got clear running from the 250m and Moment Of Change strolled away to a 1-1/2 length win over We’re Gonna Rock ($7.50) with Queenslander Solzhenitsyn taking third, another 1-1/4 lengths away.
From a future spring feature point of view, the run of Glass Harmonium into fourth place was the stand-out.
Burdened with the topweight of 58kg, having his first run since March and first since having two throat operations, Glass Harmonium showed his customary gate speed and then hit the line strongly.
Trainer Mike Moroney said he would decide in the coming week where to head next with the horse, but he favoured the Group One Caulfield Stakes (2000m) with a start in his second Cox Plate his only other spring target.
A more conservative target is on the horizon for the unbeaten Callanish after he scored the best win of his seven-race career in the Programmed Property Services Handicap (1700m).
The gelding will have his next run in the $200,000 Cranbourne Cup (2025m) on October 14 for a galloper described by his trainer Mick Price as “a nice horse, placed to advantage”.
Callanish ($2.80 fav) led throughout to score by four lengths from Spirit Song ($4) with a short head to Midnight Martini ($3) in third place.
