News

Angelic Light gets chance to shine in William Reid Stakes

25th Mar 2015

Herald Sun - by Daryl Timms - Tuesday, 24 March 2015

Talented mare Angelic Light went within a whisker of providing Cranbourne trainer Robbie Griffiths with his first Group 1 success when she was an unlucky second to Lankan Rupee in the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley last October.

The mare went down by a short half head and than a protest lodged by Damien Oliver against the winner in a roughly run race was dismissed.

Angelic Light, which has had one start since in the Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot in November, is part of Griffiths’ two-pronged attack going into Friday night’s Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.

Griffiths’ other runner in the $400,000 race, six-year-old gelding It Is Written, has a lot in common with the stable star — they are both Moonee Valley specialists.

But Angelic Light’s preparation hasn’t been without drama for Griffiths. He says he has given the mare “one and a half” unofficial trials at the Cranbourne Training Complex.

The half a trial provided Griffiths with a few horror moments when Angelic Light knuckled when the barrier gates opened, dislodging jockey Ivan Culliver, who was not injured.

“She had a private trial on the synthetic where Ivan Culliver and her parted company and she ran loose, but thank God everything was OK,” Griffiths said.

“And she then trailed last Monday in a private trial and won that and had a nice gallop yesterday morning on the course proper.

“She goes to the races ticking all the boxes and we just need a bit of luck on race day.”

Griffiths said Angelic Light, which will be ridden by Oliver, has a great strike at Moonee Valley where she has raced seven times for three wins, two seconds and a third. Her only unplaced run was in the Moir Stakes when she finished four of five, beaten less than a length.

“I am hoping to win,” he said. “She is a good mare and has had a good prep and I would have liked to have raced her prior to this race but it wasn’t going to work.

“So I elected to go into this race first-up, but I’m happy.”

Griffiths said Angelic Light’s last race — just the 16th of her career — in Perth caused some leg soreness and the original plan was to race her in the Oakleigh Plate as a lead-up but he needed extra time.

It Is Written, which has won seven races at Moonee Valley, had his last run in the Oakleigh Plate on February 28, finishing seventh of 16.

“He is never without a chance around the Valley,” Griffiths said.