With no interest in Terravista for the $10 million Everest, trainer Joe Pride has changed his program for an assault on the Group One Moir Stakes.
The eight-year-old gelding’s formidable first-up record has Pride confident ahead of Friday night’s 1000m-dash at Moonee Valley.
Terravista has won six of his nine starts first-up and been placed in the other three.
Terravista started his previous preparation by winning the Group One Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington in February.
“His fresh record is unbelievable. He’s never run a bad race and he’s fantastic at 1000 metres,” Pride said.
“If you take out the 1000 he won when he was going through the grades, the others were all very competitive fields.”
Terravista was nosed out by the world’s highest sprinter Chautauqua in last year’s Lightning Stakes and in November Redzel prevailed by a half-head in the the Listed Mumm Stakes (1000m) at Flemington.
While Chautauqua and Redzel are confirmed for the $10 million Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 14, Terravista will focus on the Group One Darley Classic down the Flemington straight on November 11.
“He’s really only effective first-up nowadays,” Pride said.
“He’ll run in the Moir, have a week in the paddock, and then get ready for the Darley.”
Pride hoped to have Ball Of Muscle race alongside his sibling but the 2015 Moir runner-up was balloted out of the field and will instead run in the Group Two Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.
