A flat workout earlier this week from a barnmate ensures Ole Dancer heads to the fillies’ Stakes encounter at Flemington.
Sheza Alibi, trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman, was earmarked to start her autumn in the Listed Desirable Stakes (1400m) on Saturday, with Ole Dancer entered for the Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m) against elder mares.
The Tuesday session did not go well for Sheza Alibi, so the connections decided to flip the engagements.
Moody indicated the Desirable Stakes is the gentler alternative for Ole Dancer versus age-matched rivals.
“She’s not wound up or screwed down as we’re mindful of not wanting her to have a gut-buster 14 days before the Surround, which is a Group 1, and ultimately, we want to be going around two or three runs after that,” Moody said.
“Class will take her a long way, unless one of the other fillies really jumps out of the ground, so I would suggest it would be hard to see her getting beat.”
Following her spring break after the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) success, Ole Dancer targets the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick February 28.
Three triumphs in five races mark her record, defeats linked to wide gates by Moody.
Fortune’s favour might render her flawless, mirroring famed ancestor Black Caviar, who lends her name to the key Saturday fixture, Black Caviar Lightning.
Ole Dancer’s dad Ole Kirk hails from Black Caviar’s half-sister.
“The times she got beat she had bad barriers, so we rode her stone cold and she ran home super,” Moody said of Ole Dancer.
“We’ve probably got to ride her cold on Saturday, seven of seven, and the filly of Danny O’Brien’s (Sass Appeal) probably leads and controls the tempo and is probably the one we have to beat.
“It’s not going to be an easy task, but it will be a nice gallop for her, the track looks enormous and the rain we had on Wednesday is the best thing that has happened to every track in Victoria.
“All being well, this will lead us to the Surround in a couple of weeks.”
The betting markets for the race are worth a look for Desirable Stakes action.
The post Race switch to suit Ole Dancer first appeared on Just Horse Racing.
