Moody's Colt To Miss Bletchingly
- Wednesday, 28 July 2010 07:45
Star three-year-old Reward For Effort will miss the Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield after trainer Peter Moody reviewed the colt's spring plans.
Moody said he would now rely on last-start Victorian Sprint Final winner Elumino to fly the stable's colours in Saturday's feature while Reward For Effort has a freshen-up following his first-up win in the Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on July 17.
The Group One Manikato Stakes (1200m) under lights at Moonee Valley on September 24 is the medium-term goal for the 2009 Blue Diamond Stakes winner.
His lead-up runs will be in the Listed Clamms Seafoods Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 28 and the Group Three McEwen Stakes (1000m) at the Valley on September 11.
"We are taking a change of tack and decided to give him six weeks between runs and miss the Bletchingly," Moody said.
"His first-up win convinced me he that's still a long way off his top but he's back and the Manikato might be a good option now.
"He has basically surprised me because I didn't expect him to win the Monash.
"Now that he is going better than I thought we have sent him off to the water-walker and we will bring him back for two runs before the Manikato."
Stablemate Ghostmilk is also having a freshen-up with water-walker work and will resume in late August for mares' races.
The imported six-year-old is a mudlark and won three city wins in a row in Melbourne before going down in a photo-finish to Mr Unforgettable in the Listed Winter Stakes at Rosehill on July 17.
Moody said the Group Two Stocks Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on September 11 was an appealing target.
"It has been a wet winter and September has been our wettest month the last six years," Moody said.
The Bletchingly features Group One winners Shoot Out, who will be ridden by Stathi Katsidis, and Velocitea who has Craig Newitt to partner her first-up on Saturday.
Other early riding engagements are Nick Hall on Keano, Craig Williams on Stanzout, Brad Rawiller on Royal Ida and James Winks on Douro Valley.
Douro Valley is on the comeback trail after tearing a hind-leg hamstring from the bone and hasn't raced since finishing last in the Group One Yalumba Stakes last spring.
Formerly trained by Danny O'Brien, Douro Valley was second to Master O'Reilly in the 2007 Caulfield Cup and had his first public barrier trial for trainer Peter Morgan when he was a competitive fourth at Geelong on Monday.
Pictures: Fiona Tomlin
