The least experienced horse in the Group Three Nivison has shown her rivals a clean pair of heels to reinforce her trainer’s belief she is a future topliner.
Punters echoed Jason Coyle’s sentiments, sending White Moss out the $4.40 favourite in Saturday’s 1200m-feature for mares.
Jason Collett took the striking grey straight to the front and after stamping her authority early, White Moss was strong to the line, keeping Zestful ($31) at bay by 1-1/4 lengths.
Her first black-type win came at her eighth start, five of which she has now won.
Kathy O’Hara has been aboard for three of those wins but she was in Melbourne where she rode Single Gaze to finish second in the Caulfield Cup.
“She’s always shown that nice ability,” Coyle said.
“We cuddled her early. She’s not an overly big mare but hopefully now it’s all coming together for her.
“She’ll run seven furlongs (1400m) easily. A mile will be the next question that we have to ask her but through the line she’s always been strong.”
White Moss is owned by the Esplin family who also raced Group One winner Plucky Belle.
“There is a 1400-metre Group Three race at Flemington in Melbourne Cup week that Plucky Belle also won,” Hamish Esplin said.
“White Moss is from a late-blooming family and looks like she will just get better.”
Like 2015 Coolmore Classic winner Plucky Belle who was trained by Peter Moody, White Moss is by Mossman whose breed generally have an affinity with wet tracks.
While she handled the soft surface with ease, White Moss also has three wins on firm tracks so Coyle has no qualms about conditions.
He said the Tattersall’s Tiara during the Brisbane winter carnival was a target and she would not go too deep into the spring.
“The long-term goal is probably taking her to Queensland to try and get that illusive Group One,” he said.
“She’ll run seven furlongs (1400m) easily. A mile will be the next question that we have to ask her but through the line she’s always been strong.”
