The stable of Tony and Calvin McEvoy is prepared to take a gamble in a Group 1 race against established sprinters with Natural Fling set to run at Sandown.
It is uncommon for a three-year-old, let alone a filly, to challenge race-hardened sprinters in a 1000-metre weight-for-age contest.
However, this is the path Natural Fling is embarking on, aiming for the Group 1 Moir Stakes this Saturday.
The race, usually held at Moonee Valley, will this year be conducted at Sandown as The Valley circuit undergoes a transformation.
Natural Fling has won two of her three starts and returned from a break with a dominant four-length victory in the Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 15.
This performance led to discussions about the Moir Stakes, with jockey Jamie Melham preparing for a fitness regime to ride the filly at the 50kg minimum weight on Saturday.
After observing Natural Fling’s progress at Sandown on Tuesday morning, Tony McEvoy confirmed his satisfaction with the decision to target the Moir.
“We’ve rated her highly right from the first time we put a saddle on her,” McEvoy said.
“I don’t think we would be going to this race if she hadn’t already got the ‘Black Type’ under the belt, but now that she has, and the market is saying it, it’s not a silly thing to do.
“She’s fast and clearly she has to step up to those big boys, and it will be a big test for her, but I’m excited about it.
“With 50 kilos and to be able to have a Jamie Melham to ride at 50, is very comforting.”
McEvoy has considerable experience with young fillies from his time at Lindsay Park before establishing his own training operation.
He believes Natural Fling is as good as any he has encountered, drawing comparisons to Sunlight, whom McEvoy trained to win 11 times from 24 starts, including the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, the Coolmore Stud Stakes, and the William Reid Stakes.
“She’s very good, she’s very fast,” McEvoy stated.
“We’ve probably still got to find where she is, class wise yet.
“I trained a very good filly called Sunlight, and this filly is matching what she could do.”
While not a definitive race, Saturday’s outing is expected to influence Natural Fling’s future racing plans.
“It will help determine whether we go back to three-year-old grade or do we go to the (Group 1) Manikato,” McEvoy explained.
“The Coolmore is the race that we have got targeted for her and now that we’re stepping up to the older bracket, if she could win a Moir, she would run in the Manikato.”
Natural Fling undertook a gallop at Sandown on Tuesday with Melham in the saddle, and McEvoy noted the value of giving the filly a look at the course she will race on Saturday.
“She was fresh, she was stimulated by being here and wanted to get going a bit earlier than we wanted in the gallop, but once she got into a nice rhythm from the 600 (metres) she quickened up nicely,” McEvoy recounted.
“She was very professional for a lightly raced filly, right out wide on the track. It didn’t faze her at all, and Jamie said she felt fantastic.
“I think she is where she needs to be.”
In other news, Steven Arnold partnered Generosity in a familiarisation exercise over the Moir course.
The Chris Waller-trained mare is scheduled for her first start at this track.
Arnold guided Generosity along the 1000-metre chute to allow the mare to familiarise herself with the track where she will be racing on Saturday.
“She’s fit, she’s had a trip away, she looks in beautiful condition,” Arnold commented.
“She did a bit of evens, quickened up the last 400 metres and she pulled up really clean in the wind and she’s ready to go for the 1000 metres.
“It’s a hot race, but she has good form over 1000 metres. She beat Giga Kick up in Sydney at the trip, so her form is good and she is worthy of taking her place.”
Consider the latest racing odds and betting markets for the Moir Stakes available on Australian betting sites.
