Tracy’s girl power

What do Sacred Choice, Palacio de Crystal and Prima Nova have in common?

They are the only females to finish ahead of Typhoon Tracy in a race.

Trainer Peter Moody raised the point when asked about Typhoon Tracy’s likely clash with star Sydney mare More Joyous in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 26.

Moody doubted a mare had finished ahead of Typhoon Tracy in her 20 starts, but later corrected himself when he remembered Sacred Choice had beaten his great mare on a heavy track in the Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington on Derby day in the spring.

A further study of Typhoon Tracy’s record shows that Palacio de Crystal (10^th) and Prima Nova (13^th) finished ahead of her in the 2010 Group 1 Doncaster Handicap (1600m, Randwick) last April – Typhoon Tracy came in an eased-up 14^th behind Rangirangdoo.

Typhoon Tracy ($2f) held on gamely to win her second Group 1 Orr Stakes (1400m, Caulfield) on Saturday – the first time a mare has won the race twice. Moody, after discussion with jockey Luke Nolen, said the mare might have gone into the race underdone.

“Luke said she peaked at the 100 metres, so I think I have been too easy on her in trying to get her sprint back after the spring when she was trained to be more dour for the Cox Plate,” Moody said on Sport927.

More Joyous ($1.30f), after a cosy run tracking her run-along stablemate Montana Flyer, easily won the Group 2 Breeders Classic (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday. More Joyous recorded a tremendous, brave win in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield in the spring, so she has had a good experience around the tricky track.

The clash of the two star mares is likely to prove even more thrilling than next Saturday’s much-billed dice between Black Caviar and Hay List in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington.

Photo: Sacred Choice beating Typhoon Tracy in the Group 1 Myer Classic at Flemington in the spring.

Breeding lines:

Typhoon Tracy (b or br m 2005, Red Ransom (USA)-Tracy’s Element, by Last Tycoon (IRE)).

More Joyous (b m 2006, More Than Ready (USA)-Sunday Joy, by Sunday Silence (USA))