Trainer Peter Moody regrets the shortage of appropriate three-year-old contests, which is set to push a couple of promising stayers towards the Australian Guineas.
Victorious Spirit and Bingi have entries for the 1600m Group 1 event at Flemington this Saturday, as well as a benchmark 66 race across the same distance at Cranbourne on Friday evening, facing seasoned rivals.
Heading to Cranbourne would require the duo trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman to shoulder 61.5kg and 60kg respectively, though Moody believes the weekend option makes more sense.
“I probably don’t need to be butting heads with those horses but it’s the race that will take me to where I want him to be and Bingi is a bit the same,” Moody said.
“I’m nearly forced to run them because there’s no three-year-old race at a mile on a Wednesday meeting, or anything like that, and really there’s only the Guineas, and if you want to go to 2000 (metres) at your next start, it doesn’t help.
“He (Victorious Spirit) went well first-up and there may be worse than him there, but it would be nice to find something easier, and it would be cheaper than running in a Group 1.
“Hopefully he can finish in the top five to pay for the day.”
The Australian Guineas features 12 entries, including Observer and Planet Red, who claimed first and second in the Autumn Stakes (1400m) ahead of Victorious Spirit in third, plus the standout C S Hayes winner at Flemington, Sixties.
Moody harbours plans for the Australian Derby with Victorious Spirit, but admits the event might arrive too early for the Ghaiyyath colt, sire of Victoria Derby victor Observer; the co-trainer noted Bingi also suits longer trips to 2000m.
“He’s the right horse for the Derby, but whether he’s mature enough,” Moody said of Victorious Spirit.
“We’ve got three Derbies still left, so there’s a chance he could run in one of them.
“The Australian Derby is the only one I haven’t won.
“I’ve won over in Perth, I’ve won the Northern Territory Derby as an owner, I’ve won in Tasmania, I’ve won a few in Queensland, as well Victoria and South Australia.
“I’ve been placed in the Australian Derby, so it’s an itch I want to scratch.”
Explore the Australian betting sites for top racing odds ahead of the Australian Guineas.
