News

Set For Fame ready for Denman showdown

21st Feb 2010

Racenet - Brad Waters - Saturday, 20 February 2010

Leading trainer Peter Moody is set to test lightly raced filly Set For Fame against “suspect” colts in the Group I Australian Guineas after her comfortable win at Caulfield.

The daughter of Reset faced her toughest test to date against Group I winners Irish Lights and Linky Dink as well as Group II winner Rostova in the Group II Angus Armanasco Stakes but handled the assignment easily.

Set For Fame took off early from a midfield position before being pushed five-wide on the home turn but stretched out strongly to record an impressive win.

Moody labelled the winning ride of jockey Luke Nolen as not one of “his prettiest performances” but was full of praise for Set For Fame’s acceleration.

“I don’t know if he (Nolen) saw Rostova in trouble or something, he wanted to get going,” Moody said. “But to get pushed wide and still finish like that, it was a damn good effort.

“I think he (Nolen) might have realised where he was on the home turn and looked after her a bit because the job was done.”

Moody has said publicly he thinks Set For Fame would have won the Group I Thousand Guineas in the spring before the filly suffered a bleeding attack, incurring a mandatory three-month ban from racing.

Because of the ban, Set For Fame is untested at 1600 metres, a distance Moody said she would relish if she runs in the Australian Guineas at Flemington on March 6.

“I’m extremely confident in this filly at a mile,” Moody said. “If she pulls up well, it would be hard not to go there (Australian Guineas) because I think some of those colts are suspect at a mile.”

Moody said viable alternatives to the Australian Guineas include the $400,000 Group II Kewney Stakes and the Group III $150,000 Schweppervescence Trophy, both over 1400 metres.

What they said – “I was gentle on her towards the end. She’s done a great job,” said Luke Nolen, winning rider of Set For Fame.

”She went super, there’s definitely a win in her in Melbourne,” said Brad Rawiller, rider of Gigas (2nd).

“She was in a stroppy, arrogant mood today. I don’t know what was wrong with her,” said Brett Prebble, rider of Irish Lights (3rd).

“She went really well again. Couldn’t be happier with her,” said Craig Williams, rider of No Evidence Needed (4th).

“That was a terrific run first-up,” said Craig Newitt, rider of Nakaaya (5th).

“I’m not sure what to think. We’ll see how she pulls up. She might go back to sprint trips,” said Steven King, rider of Rostova (6th).

The market: Set For Fame was always a clear favourite in the market despite easing from $2.40 to $2.50. Gigas was specked from $17 to $16 while Irish Lights drifted from $5 to $7. Rostova was well supported, firming from $5 into $4.80. Misty Blue firmed from $15 into $14.