Mo’unga primed for Guineas

[Wandering Eyes]

The recent deluge of rain in Sydney has led Warwick Farm trainer Annabel Neasham to take a unique approach with Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) favourite Mo’unga (NZ) (Savabeel) this week.

As a result of the Guineas being postponed a week due to inclement weather, Neasham elected to undertake a six-hour round trip on Monday to conduct Mo’unga’s final hit-out ahead of his weekend test.

The son of Savabeel travelled to Queanbeyan, near Canberra, with stablemate Queen Of Wizardry, and Neasham was pleased with his efforts on the Heavy8 track.

“We go that far to race them without any issue, so I thought we would go down there and give them a gallop between races one and two on fresh ground,” Neasham told RSN927.

“He was three weeks between runs, so it wasn’t going to do him any harm. That little trip would have topped him off nicely, I hope.

“Queanbeyan was the best track in New South Wales yesterday. It was one of the only places it has been okay to race. It was a Heavy8 and I walked the straight before they galloped and it was holding up pretty well.

“I am glad I went. It just enabled me to give them a good hit-out and now I don’t have to worry too much. They will do a little bit on Thursday, but their main bit is now done.

“Tommy Berry (jockey) rode him yesterday and I asked him what his honest opinion was of him on that wet track and he said ‘absolutely fine’.

“There will not be many people who know how their horses go in this sort of ground, but he couldn’t be any better. He looks fantastic and he will be peaking for this run.”

With the postponement of the Guineas to Saturday, nominations were reopened for the Classic on Saturday, a move that Neasham wasn’t completely pleased about, but she maintains Mo’unga is a justified favourite after his second-placing in the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m).

“I suppose those Melbourne horses have got an advantage now,” she said. “They have had the run over 2000m in the Alister Clark, so they are probably at a fitness advantage.

“But I genuinely think this is the class horse, even looking at the noms I think he is the one they have all got to beat, based off his run last start.

“He has got to handle the wet, but if he does, he is going to be really hard to beat.

“The 2000m will really suit him. This race is what we have earmarked for him for a long time.”

Mo’unga was purchased out of Waikato Stud’s 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft by Aquis Farm for $325,000.

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