News

Dominant Moody continues hot form

27th Nov 2010

Sydney Morning Heald - Andrew Eddy -Friday, 26 November 2010

VICTORIA'S champion trainer Peter Moody has continued his dominance in the first four months of the new season and boasts a Melbourne strike-rate of better than one winner every five runners.

Only in Lee Freedman's record-breaking season in 2005-06 when he trained 115 Melbourne winners at a strike rate of 21.73 per cent has a premiership-winning trainer enjoyed a strike-rate above 20 per cent.

With 29 Melbourne wins since the season started on August 1, Moody has almost doubled his nearest rival David Hayes (15), with Moody striking at 21.96 per cent compared to 19.71 per cent last season when he finished with 83 winners.

Advertisement: Story continues below The Caulfield trainer's winning habits have not escaped the attention of one of the world's biggest racing and breeding empires Coolmore, who have sent Moody three horses over the past year, including an interesting first starter at Betfair Park tomorrow.

Fire Of London, who is by Coolmore's champion local sire Encosta De Lago out of Danehill mare Twyla, will make his debut in the opening event. Twyla has several claims to fame. She is the dam of the $2.2 million filly Movin' Out and another daughter, Celebria, is the dam of last Saturday's group 1 Railway Stakes winner Gathering.

Coolmore Australia's general manager, Michael Kirwan, said yesterday that Moody had prepared imported mare Luminous Eyes for Coolmore as well as Fastnet Rock filly Head Over Heels.

''He [Fire Of London] is our first two-year-old runner for the season so we're hoping that he can run well for Peter, who has proven himself to be a very good trainer,'' Kirwan said.

Fire Of London is one of three two-year-olds making their debut for Moody at Betfair Park tomorrow. Also engaged in the Sport 927 Plate under Moody's care are Charge Forward colt Hpnotiq Dream as well as More Than Ready colt Trysta.

Moody also has four other runners on the program.

This season, Moody has trained 54 winners in Victoria at 22.40 per cent and is on target to mirror last season's 182 wins at 23.36 per cent. At the same stage last season, Moody had saddled 22 Melbourne winners.

■ The long spring campaign for Shoot Out has taken its toll with the four-year-old ruled out of next year's Sydney autumn carnival.

Trainer John Wallace said the horse needed a long spell. He will instead target the Queensland winter carnival before another tilt at the Melbourne spring.