Trainer Mike Moroney is entering unchartered waters with multiple Group 1 winning mare Tofane ahead of her return run at Caulfield.
TofaneĀ is chasing a fourth Group 1 win when she lines up in theĀ MemsieĀ Stakes (1400m) on Saturday.
The mare’s previous three Group 1 wins have all been overĀ Saturday’s trip, but all racing right-handed.
TofaneĀ won the 2020 All-Aged Stakes at Randwick while her last two starts resulted inĀ Group 1 victories at EagleĀ Farm in the Stradbroke Handicap and Tatt’s Tiara.
But Moroney holds no fears aboutĀ TofaneĀ racing left-handed, with the mare having won previously at Flemington, Caulfield and Moonee Valley.
“She tends to be fine going left-handed and a couple of times she’s been unlucky and one day down the straight she should have won,” Moroney said.
“She’ll take residual fitness into this which I thinkĀ isĀ a big thing and she’s running at her pet trip.”
TofaneĀ last raced in June and Moroney has not raced the mare off such a short break first-up previously.
He said he had givenĀ TofaneĀ extra gallopsĀ whileĀ her jump-outs had been stronger than if preparing for a first-up run at 1100m or 1200m.
But the trainer has confidence in the mare that she has done the work and will discuss withĀ jockeyĀ Craig Williams, who won last year’sĀ MemsieĀ aboardĀ Behemoth, the best way to ride the mare.
Moroney noted Williams was one of the better race planners amongst the jockey ranksĀ and ideally would like toĀ seeĀ TofaneĀ settled in the one-one position in Melbourne’s firstĀ Group 1 of the Spring Racing Carnival.
“It will be something I will be having a look at myself, but it will also be something that Craig and I will discuss,” Moroney said.
“Both times we’ve got together in the two that she wonĀ with him aboard, we both agreed exactly where we wanted to be, and it worked out perfectly.
“We tend to read thingsĀ pretty similarly, so we’llĀ see how we go this time.”
