News

Peter Moody says Headway improver for Golden Slipper

1st Apr 2009

Courier Mail - Bart Sinclair - Wednesday, 1 April 2009

TRAINER Peter Moody will be delighted to admit he was wrong if the filly Headway causes a Golden Slipper upset.

Late in December, Moody presented a progress report on the then unraced Headway to her owner Tony Santic, of Makybe Diva fame. It was not a task he relished.

"You want to have the confidence in a young horse to give the owner something to look forward to," Moody said yesterday in the final countdown to the $3.5 million Golden Slipper at Rosehill on Saturday.

"But I'm always upfront with my owners. I tell them exactly what I believe. At that stage I told Tony I wasn't too enthusiastic about what I was seeing with Headway.

"She hadn't shown much on the track at all. Then we trialled her and she showed some ability. She should have won her first start when she finished a close second at Seymour, but I still didn't rate her as any chance in a Golden Slipper.

"From that time she has improved every week. She's even improved since she won the Sweet Embrace Stakes at Rosehill three weeks ago.

"I've never had another young horse which has kept improving so much so quickly. She's amazing."

Moody said Santic would be entitled to boast if Headway wins the Slipper because he had chosen the filly himself at the Sydney Easter sales.

Headway's mother Chatelaine originally was trained in Sydney by Ron Quinton, but when Stuart Ramsey, from Turangga Stud, bought the Flying Spur mare she was transferred to Moody.

"I looked at Headway at the Sydney sales and she was quite a nice filly but I didn't have a client," Moody said. "Tony bought her himself. He didn't ask a bloodstock agent, a vet or anyone to get a second opinion.

"He just backed himself to bid $175,000 so he will deserve all the credit if she wins."

The highest-priced horses rarely dominate the field for the Golden Slipper, but only Our Joan Of Arc, bought at the Inglis Classic sale in Sydney for $15,000, could be classified as a "cheapie" buy.

Five of the 18 final acceptors were retained by their breeders and not offered through the sale ring. Undoubtedly all five, including the ruling favourites Real Saga and More Joyous, would have attracted six and maybe seven-figure bids.

Moody bid $190,000 for Reward For Effort at the Inglis Premier yearling sale in Melbourne in February last year.