Moir goes to Pippie but Everest unlikely
Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1, 1100m) heroine Pippie (5 m Written Tycoon – Coupe Express by Ne Coupez Pas) added a second top-level feature to her record when she burnt off her rivals to win the Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) at Moonee Valley last night, but the world’s richest turf event appears to be off the radar for the speedy mare.
Set alight by Damian Lane from the gates, the John and Chris Meagher-trained Pippie led her rivals with ease, clocking blistering sectionals as she went along.
Lane put three lengths on Pippie’s chasers on the turn and, although they steadily pulled ground off her, she could not be reeled in.
Despite weakening noticeably late, Pippie had three-quarters of a length to spare over Godolphin’s dual Group 1 winner Trekking (Street Cry) in second with a further head to Adelaide mare Bella Vella (Commands), who just filled third in a photo over the hard-charging Brooklyn Hustle (Starspangledbanner) in fourth.
“I’ve never been on one quicker early, just how clean she is from the stalls and how easily she does it,” Lane told Racing.com. “You just give her some rein out of the barriers and then lay on her neck and she does the rest for you.
“I actually thought I was in a little bit of trouble on the corner when she came off the bridle but when I asked for her maximum effort she really dug in again.”
While the last three winners of the Moir Stakes – She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain), Viddora (I Am Invincible) and Nature Strip (Nicconi) – all gained berths in the $15 million The Everest (1200m), it is unlikely that Pippie will follow in their footsteps, especially with plenty of speed already engaged.
Instead, the Manikato Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) – once again at Moonee Valley – and Flemington’s Darley Sprint Classic (Gr 1, 1200m) are more likely options.
“This was our main target,” Chris Meagher told Racing.com. “We’ll just regroup and see. She holds a nom for the Manikato and for the (Darley) Sprint. We did pencil in that race on Derby Day (the Begonia Belle Stakes) but we might get 69 kilograms. We’ll just see how things pan out and how she pulls up. It’s just a relief to get through tonight.”
He continued: “She’s amazing fresh. Tonight she was just on point, she’d done everything right and we couldn’t have been happier. She’s a deadset old 10-year-old gelding at home but as soon as she bounces out of the machines, she’s a completely different animal.
“We came here as confident as you can be going into a Group 1 race so to pull it off is absolutely amazing. To win a race of this calibre is a huge honour, I’m just rapt for everyone involved.”
Purchased by the Meaghers for $60,000 out of the Eureka Stud draft at the 2017 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Pippie has now won $1,201,950 from just 12 starts.
“She’s just a ripper of a sprinter, Pippie. And the mother, well she’s turning into a very good buy for us now,” said Eureka’s Scott McAlpine, who purchased Pippie’s dam Coupe Express (Ne Coupez Pas) for $26,000 at the 2015 Inglis Melbourne August Thoroughbred Sale in foal to Written Tycoon (Iglesia) – that foal was Pippie.
“She’s [Coupe Express] actually booked in to be covered with Written Tycoon next week so hopefully we’ll have a full brother or sister to Pippie on the ground next year.’’
Runner-up Trekking came with a storming run down the centre of the track, putting himself firmly into Everest calculations. Godolphin has a slot, but has to choose between Trekking and his younger stablemate Bivouac (Exceed And Excel).
Tasmania takes Stocks with Mystic Journey
On a weekend where rags to riches stories are dominating the headlines – take Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) odds-on favourite Rothfire (Rothesay) as a case in point – one of Australia’s most famous leading ladies returned to the spotlight as Mystic Journey (5 m Needs Further – White Gold by Colombia) bounced back to win the Stocks Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) last night.
Purchased for just $11,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale, Mystic Journey won 11 of her first 14 starts, including triumphs in the Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) and the inaugural All-Star Mile (1600m) in her three-year-old season. She returned a winner in her first start at four in last year’s P B Lawrence Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m), but she had not been successful in six starts since.
Having performed below par in her first two starts this season in the P B Lawrence Stakes and then the Memsie Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m), trainer Adam Trinder elected to take a chance by sending Mystic Journey back across Bass Strait to his Devonport base, instead of leaving her at Peter Moody’s Pakenham stables, as had been the case throughout her spring preparation to date. She only returned to Victoria on Wednesday.
Mystic Journey looked far from a winning prospect as they reached the school, but ever so slowly and steadily, she inched into the race bit by bit. Favourite Perfect Jewel (Redoute’s Choice) dashed clear, but Mystic Journey wore her down to win by a head. One More Try (Dane Shadow) finished third, four and a half lengths from the winner.
“I’m really happy to ride a winner for Adam,” rider Luke Currie told Racing.com. “We’ve been mates for a long time, we used to ride in the hunt clubs when we were kids. Our families go a long way back.
“It’s a really good effort, because when these mares lose their form, to come back is difficult – and especially still in that prep, too, usually they’d have to go out and start again. But he’s taken her back and he said to me he thought she was back as good as ever and he’s spot on.”
Whether it was the Mystic Journey – stable name Betty – of old is debatable, but her popularity cannot be understated; even racecaller Terry Bailey let out a cry of “Go Betty, go!” in the concluding stages.
Mystic Journey has multiplied her purchase price many times over, taking her earnings to $3,869,100 with last night’s victory.
Comeback king Moody sweeps Stutt
Peter Moody may not have been guiding Mystic Journey last night, but the champion trainer still was able to celebrate his first stakes win in almost four years when Glenfiddich (3 c Fastnet Rock – Nothin But A Dream) took out the Bill Stutt Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) in easy fashion.
And the man most famous for guiding Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) to 25 straight wins hopes to return to Moonee Valley in a month in a bid to add a first Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) to his record.
Twice Group 1-placed in his short career to date – once at two when runner-up in the Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m), the other when first-up at three and in his first start for Moody when third in the Memsie Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) – Glenfiddich stamped himself as Victoria’s best Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) contender with his victory last night.
Allowed to stroll on in the lead by Luke Nolen, Glenfiddich never looked in much trouble at any stage, racing clear for a two-length success. Cherry Tortoni (Night Of Thunder) produced a nice lead-up for races over further with a closing second, while Holyfield (I Am Invincible) was a head away in third.
Moody said that part of the reason for heading to the Stutt was to give Glenfiddich some experience at Moonee Valley with hopes of chasing a bigger goal in the future.
“We dream – he’s a very exciting colt so after we win the Caulfield Guineas we might come back here for a Cox Plate,” Moody told Racing.com, with his traditional laconic approach.
“I think he’ll improve rapidly, he’s a nice colt. We didn’t have to run prior to the Guineas but that gave him a look at the Valley in the hope that he could be back here in a month’s time.”
Glenfiddich boasts an international pedigree, being closely related to Magic Millions Guineas (RL, 1400m) winner Eleven Eleven (Fastnet Rock) as well as champion Venezuelan mares Endrygol (Evolutionist) and Piacenza (League Of Nations). Further back, it is also the family of Cox Plate runner-up Criterion (Sebring).
Bred by Edinburgh Park’s Ian Smith and purchased for $200,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by his former trainer Robbie Griffiths in partnership with Peter Ford Thoroughbreds, Glenfiddich has now taken his prize-money to $406,750.
Galayel good but faces Caulfield Cup mountain
On a night filled with stakes action, Al Galayel (7 g Zoffany – Glympse by Spectrum) stamped himself as a legitimate Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) contender with an emphatic win in the JRA Cup (Gr 3, 2040m).
However, he will require the help of Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter to make the field.
Al Galayel’s two-and-a-quarter-length win over Plein Ciel (Mamool) helped the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-prepared import to pass the first ballot clause for the Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m).
However, he remains stranded in the mid-50s and even a decent penalty would be unlikely to improve his position significantly.
The last JRA Cup winner to earn a penalty was Real Love (Desert King) in 2016; she earned a 0.5-kilogram rise and went on to finish fifth to Maher’s Jameka (Myboycharlie) in the Caulfield Cup.
The other option is to contest the Coongy Handicap (Gr 3, 2000m) on the Wednesday before the Caulfield Cup, with the race now a last-ditch opportunity to qualify for the field. It is an option that Eustace says remains possible.
“He’s a credit to our team to get him back as he had an injury and had a long time off,” Eustace told Racing.com. “We’ll look at the country cups for him and maybe the Coongy. He’s still in the Caulfield Cup, so we’d have to have a look at that.”
Swats That swots Scarborough rivals
The Scarborough Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) has a proven record of producing top fillies and the win of the Leon and Troy Corstens-trained Swats That (3 f Shamus Award – Is It A Mosquito by Bel Esprit) last night suggests she will have every chance of enhancing that honour roll.
Swats That, who was named ANZ Bloodstock News’ Maiden Of The Week after her debut performance to win the Vobis Gold Rush (1000m) at Bendigo, was much the best of the field, with her two-length margin over Highly Discreet (Street Boss) and Dirty Thoughts (So You Think) arguably not a true reflection of her dominance.
“She was three-wide and had no peace whatsoever and was very, very strong,” Troy Corstens told Racing.com, saying that the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) on Derby Day is her primary target. “It’s nice to see her do that because we have all put in a lot of work and we always thought she was pretty good.”
Swats That produced some level of retribution for her sire Shamus Award (Snitzel), who produced one of the runs of his career when he was beaten by the smallest of margins on this night in 2013 in the Bill Stutt Stakes.
Bred and raced by Melbourne cardiologist Dr Adam Gay, Swats That has now taken her earnings to $294,700 after just four starts.