A lacklustre piece of work earlier in the week by a stablemate will see Ole DancerĀ take on theĀ filly’sĀ version of a Stakes race at Flemington.
The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained Sheza AlibiĀ had been scheduled to kick off her autumn campaign in the Listed Desirable Stakes (1400m) on Saturday with Ole Dancer taking on the older mares in the Group 3 FrancesĀ TressadyĀ Stakes (1400m).
But Sheza Alibi did not please the stable in her last piece of work on Tuesday, and the decision was made to switch races with Ole Dancer.
Moody said the Desirable Stakes was the softerĀ optionĀ of the two races with Ole Dancer set to line up against fillies of her own age.
“She’sĀ not wound up or screwed down asĀ we’reĀ mindful of not wanting her to have a gut-buster 14 days before the Surround, which is a Group 1,Ā and ultimately, weĀ want to be going around two or three runs after that,” Moody said.
“Class will take her a long way, unless one of the other fillies really jumps out of the ground, soĀ I would suggest it wouldĀ be hard to see herĀ gettingĀ beat.”
The Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on February 28 had been earmarked for Ole Dancer from the time sheĀ was sent for a break after winning the Group 1Ā ThousandĀ Guineas (1600m) last spring.
Ole Dancer is a three-time winner from five starts with Moody blaming bad barriers for her defeats.
He said with a bit of luck she could be undefeated and heading on the same path as her famous relation Black Caviar after whom Saturday’s feature race, the Black Caviar Lightning, is named.
Black Caviar and Ole Dancer’s sire Ole KirkĀ areĀ related with Ole Kirk being out of a sister to Black Caviar.
“The times she got beat she had bad barriers, so we rode her stone cold and sheĀ ran home super,” Moody said of Ole Dancer.
“We’veĀ probably gotĀ to ride her cold on Saturday, seven of seven, and the filly of Danny O’Brien’sĀ (Sass Appeal)Ā probably leadsĀ and controls the tempo and isĀ probably theĀ one weĀ have toĀ beat.
“It’sĀ not going to be an easy task, but it will be a nice gallop for her, the track looks enormous and the rain we had on Wednesday is the best thing that has happened to every track in Victoria.
“All being well, this will lead us to the Surround in a couple of weeks.”
