Peter Moody is worried how much is left in the tank ahead of Lightsaber running in the All Star Mile.
An autumn campaign that started well with a fourth-place finish in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) at The Valley in January, quickly turned pear-shaped in the lead-up to Lightsaber’s main goal of the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington.
Lightsaber missed the start in the Group 1 C F Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 12, and instead of being up on the speed was out the back, eventually finishing 11th.
The colt was then due to start in the Group 3 C S Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington the following week but was scratched at the barrier.
It ended up two non-results for Lightsaber and while he had a trial to get his barrier ticket back to start again, he was lacking in match fitness ahead of the Australian Guineas on March 5.
But Lightsaber showed his of class in that contest, finishing second to Hitotsu which in turn earned him a wildcard into Saturday’s $5 million All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington.
“It took him a few days to get over that hard run in the Guineas, but he seems to have bounced back OK, so we’re happy to be there,” Moody said.
“We were terrified of going to Sydney on wet ground for where his preparation is at.
“That run at Caulfield and then missing the C S Hayes didn’t help his preparation into the Guineas which was his target race, but now we’ve got that $5 million carrot in front of us.
“The horse has had that hard, tough run, but it’s a fine line of wishing he had that hard, tough run to bring him on fitness wise, but at the same time hoping it hasn’t flattened him.
“He seems good at home, so we’ll find out on Saturday.”
Moody has looked no further than Saturday.
“He had a Grand Final in the Guineas and then he’s got another Grand Final on Saturday, so he might have done enough,” Moody said.
“It would be nice to win a big one, but then again he doesn’t like soft ground.”