Trainer Matt Laurie is banking on a trip to Caulfield helping to settle Treasurethe Moment ahead of her return run at Caulfield.
The Group 1 VRC Oaks winner from last spring makes her return in the Group 2 Angus Armanasco Stakes (1400m) on Saturday.
Construction work on a nearby building site following a trip up from Laurie’s Mornington base had Treasurethe Moment on edge before a gallop at Caulfield on Tuesday morning.
“I’m glad we brought her out here today,” Laurie said.
“There’s a lot of construction going on and with the trip in, she was a little bit nervy.
“But we let her flow around with the earmuffs on and I was happy. Visually she looked good, and Damian (Lane) was happy.
“We’ve done enough to have her ready for the start on Saturday and hopefully it’s an exciting preparation ahead.”
Treasurethe Moment has not been sighted since winning the VRC Oaks on November 7 which was the filly’s fourth win in succession.
Laurie has given Treasurethe Moment two trials, one at Cranbourne and another at Sandown, in preparation for Saturday’s return, along with a gallop at Caulfield.
“I thought Cranbourne was pretty good,” Laurie said.
“She finished not too far off the likes of Magic Time and a few other pretty smart horses that raced well over the weekend and then she went to Sandown for a trial up the back straight and we made her go an extra furlong past the post.
“She’s prepared to win. She can do it, but we’ll see what happens. We want a nice starting point.”
Laurie is happy to kick-off Treasurethe Moment’s campaign at 1400m and would like to see the noted front runner Too Darn Lizzie, from the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable, take her place.
“We’ve won over 1300 and 1400 (metres) before, albeit at a different level, and we think she can run well,” Laurie said.
“She’s a good horse and it looks a nice starting point, and if Gai’s horse accepts and they run along enough, and she can get into a rhythm, she’ll be strong late.
“She’ll have one more run over the mile at Flemington, in set-weights race which will be ideal as this is set-weights and penalties, and then we’ll head to Sydney.”
