Eight-year-old Rhythm To Spare will be trying for the third time to win a Winter Championship Series Final at Flemington.
Rhythm To Spare has finished fifth in the past two editions of the Listed 1600m race at Flemington which is one of the highlights of winter racing in Melbourne.
The Mike Moroney-trained gelding goes into this Saturday’s race having been unplaced in his past three starts but Moroney’s racing manager Anthony Feroce believes the gelding is going better than the form card reads.
“We think he’s going as good as ever. It’s just unfortunate he’s had no luck in his last two runs in Adelaide and at Moonee Valley,” Feroce said.
“We’re just hoping for a bit better luck on Saturday and I think he can be in the finish.”
Rhythm To Spare finished fifth in the Group Three R A Lee Stakes (1600m) in Adelaide two starts ago when he had difficulty obtaining clear running around the 200m mark.
Last start in the Travis Harrison Cup (1600m) at Moonee Valley he was held up from the 400m to the 200m before finishing fourth, just over nine lengths off dominant winner Magic Consol.
“We got held up and Magic Consol had the momentum out wide,” Feroce said.
“The race was all over by the time he got out.”
Damien Oliver takes the ride on Rhythm To Spare with the race attracting a capacity field of 16 plus four emergencies.
He has drawn barrier 11 but will come in to gate nine if the emergencies don’t gain a start.
Rhythm To Spare is not the only horse lining up in the Winter Championship Series Final for the third time, with the Chris Waller-trained seven-year-old gelding Amovatio trying to add to his win in 2015 and his second last year.
