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Observations of weekend’s racing
Moody’s tactics
Peter Moody put the cat among the pigeons when he advised Racing Victoria stewards that Typhoon Tracy (pictured), who was expected to take her usual leading role in the Group 2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (wfa, 1600m) at Moonee Valley, would be ridden back.
Typhoon Tracy, as Moody said, settled in fifth place in a field of eight and ran well to finish second behind the brilliant Whobegotyou, who unleashed big run from the back of the field from the 600m.
More should be read into Moody’s decision than just a fiddle with tactics to upset his opposition. I read that Moody believes that Typhoon Tracy cannot lead and win the Cox Plate (wfa 2040m) on October 23; that’s the story to come out of his tactical backflip.
The premiership winning trainer is conscious that Typhoon Tracy is susceptible at 2000 metres, but he also has often said (and jockey Luke Nolen has agreed) that the mare is better from behind than in front; it’s just that her tactical speed often sees her in a dominating position.
The good news for Moody is that the mare settled well off an inconsistent tempo and she showed a good turn-of-foot to go with Whobegotyou when he made his charge. The art of any great trainer is to have his/her horse at its peak on “grand final” day and that’s Moody aim, and challenge, with Typhoon Tracy.
Shoot for Caulfield
I wouldn’t be surprised of trainer John Wallace switches from weight-for-age races to run Shoot Out in the Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 16.
Wallace has been effusive about Shoot Out’s chances in the Cox Plate, but he told me after the horse won the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (wfa 1200m) on July 31 that the Caulfield Cup always remained an option for the 2010 AJC Derby (2400m) winner.
“There is no reason, why I can’t run him in both,” Wallace said.
Wallace is conscious that if he is to run Shoot Out in the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 2, a 2400 metre race as a lead-up is probably imperative.
The last horse to win the Caulfield Cup-Cox Plate double was the great, and now Hall of Fame champion, Northerly in 2002.
Shoot Out looked a bit one-paced before finishing third in a muddling run Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes on Saturday, and Wallace wasn’t too perturbed. “He will be a lot better in a race run with pace on,” he said.
Shoot Out is likely to run next in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 2, although he has the option of waiting a week and running in the Yalumba Stakes (wfa, 2000m) at Caulfield – if he does that then you can wipe out the Caulfield Cup as Wallace will not want to run Shoot Out three weeks in a row.
Who said that?
Last year Whobegotyou went in to the Cox Plate a raging $2.80 favourite, but in a race run at a fairly hectic tempo, set by the winner So You Think, he struggled home in sixth place.
On the strength of that performance – his only defeat at Moonee Valley in six starts – he has been labelled as a “soft” galloper unable to handle a pressure-packed 2040 metres of a Cox Plate.
Those who make that can claim – and you know who you are – continue to do so despite the facts. Here they are:
(1) Whobegotyou has no trouble winning at 2000 metres. He has won twice at that distance: the Group 1 Yalumba Stakes (wfa) and the Group 2 AAMI Vase.
(2) When he won the AAMI Vase on Cox Plate day as a 3YO, the race was run at a hectic, high-pressured pace, so much so that Whobegotyou won in 2mins 05.31secs – compared to Maldivian’s 2.06.92 in the Cox Plate two races later.
(3) Whobetgotyou jarred up badly on a very firm Moonee Valley surface in last year’s Cox Plate. The stewards’ report backs that up: Subsequent to the race, a veterinary examination of Whobegotyou revealed that the gelding was showing signs of soreness in the hindquarters and back.
Whobegotyou has returned to racing this spring a bigger and stronger version of the one that raced last year. He looked awesome in the parade before the Dato Tan Chin Nam, and he looked awesome winning it, running past two highly-rated Cox Plate contenders, Typhoon Tracy and Shoot Out, with ease.
Ignore Whobegotyou’s chances in the Cox Plate at your peril. He may not be able to beat a fit and superior So You Think, but an inability to run out a tough 2040 metres won’t be the excuse.
Lady gaga
‘The Lady Trainer’ has gone off a bit early in the spring with her suggestion, first to owner John Singleton, and then to lapping media, that her brilliant mare More Joyous is better than Sunline. When More Joyous, and I have no doubts about her great talent, wins a couple of Cox Plates, two Doncasters and a dozen or so other Group 1 races in three countries she can earn the title of “as good as Sunline”. The old girl would be turning in her grave.
More Joyous strolled through her first 800m of the 1400m Sebring Sprint at Rosehill on Saturday in a tick under 50 secs – her stablemate, the stayer Descarado, was able to ‘possie up’ second – and she skipped home her final 600m in 33.21 secs. No wonder jockey Corey Brown said she was strong on the line.
And I think we are all getting a bit awash with Waterhouse waffle over the win of Herculian Prince. It was a tremendous performance to jump from 1400m to 2000m to win the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes at Randwick, but let’s put this in perspective – he beat Stormhill, a 9YO stallion who won this race five years ago, and a handy Group 3 level plodder, The Embassy.
Herculian Prince is a bold, tough front-runner, who is still lightly raced and may reach heights that Stormhill and co. can only dream about, but let’s see this wiry New Zealand gelding beat a top-class field before he gets the superstar tag slapped on his rump.
I wonder -do we need to remember that Whobe was coming off shortest break & in best part of ground ?
Suprised that some people have written off TTs Cox Plate hopes already. She ran second on a prep in which trainer has said she is being aimed at CP.
Steve,
Whobegotyou was certainly to advantage swooping out wide – he did the same in 2009 – and he also looked very well in the yard. He’s an athletic looking horse at the best of times, rarely carries a lot of condition, and on Saturday her looked about 85 per cent from his peak.
I agree that Typhoon Tracy is being written off far too early. Peter Moody knows her well and he also knows that if she is to win the Cox Plate she will need to do it coming from behind the pace. I expect to see her ridden that way from now on.