Potential Group contender Stamina has begun his three-year-old season on a high at Rosehill for premier Melbourne trainer Peter Moody who is about to attack Sydney racing on a grander scale.
Moody will swap his 10 boxes at Rosehill for a 24-horse complex at Randwick on Sunday to accommodate his satellite stable.
Stamina - Photo by Steve Hart
Stamina, backed from $6 to $3.90 favourite, gave his backers cause for concern when he missed the start but he hit the line hard after getting through a gap to beat Bull Point ($5) by a short half-head in Saturday’s Rosehill Gardens Handicap (1400m).
Moody’s Sydney caretaker Claire Cunningham said the Spring Stakes (1600m) at Newcastle on September 18 was a likely target for the son of Sebring on his way to a possible start in the Group One Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick.
“That’s a massive run from him because he’s the type of horse that needs momentum to produce his best,” Cunningham said.
“And he’ll improve when he gets out to the mile.”
The last-minute decision to run Sweet Talkin Woman in the Australian Turf Club Handicap (1900m) paid off for Newcastle trainer Kris Lees when the mare scored a comprehensive 1-3/4 length win over Urban Rocker.
Lees has Sweet Talkin Woman entered for a race at next week’s Wyong Gold Cup carnival but after speaking to Rosehill trainer Tim Martin on Saturday morning, decided to make the trip to Sydney.
“I was worried the track might be too hard and I rang Tim at 7am to make sure they had put some water on the track,” Lees said.
“He reassured me and we decided to come. We took the blinkers off her and that helped her today.”
Lees said the six-year-old mare would stay in training for another season but he was unsure of her next target.
“There is not a lot around for her but we may be able to find a weak Listed race for her,” he said.
