Buffering among 2015 Moir Stakes nominations

The Robert Heathcote trained Buffering is chasing his third win in the $450,000 City Jeep Moir Stakes (1000m) and headlines the twenty nominations for the Group 1 sprint at Moonee Valley on Friday night.

Buffering will be chasing his third win in the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Buffering will be chasing his third win in the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Buffering won his first Moir Stakes in 2012 when it was run as a Group 2 sprint and claimed it again last year when he beat Lankan Rupee when it was run over 1200m.

Sandwiched into between those two victories was a second to Samaready in the 2013 Moir Stakes.

Last year’s victory in the Moir Stakes was Buffering’s fourth Group 1 win and trainer Robert Heathcote said that the eight year old still has plenty of life left in him.

“The old fella doesn’t know that he is eight and he has that cheeky attitude and he is bouncing off the track every morning,” Heathcote told Racing Ahead.

“His coat has really shifted in the last couple of weeks and he is going to present in great order.”

Group1 placegetter Angelic Light is also among the nominations and has a winning record over the Moir Stakes course and distance.

Warwick Farm trainer Joe Pride is heavily represented with three nominations in the Moir Stakes.

Group 1 winners Terravista and Tiger Tees are both resuming while speedster Ball Of Muscle has had two runs back from a spell at Randwick for a third to Shiraz in the Group 3 $125,000 Concorde Stakes (1000m) on September 5 followed by a second to Rebel Dane in the Group 2 $200,000 The Bowermans Office Furniture Shorts (1100m) on September 19.

Terravista proved his class with a win in the Group 1 $1m Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington during the 2014 Melbourne Spring Carnival while Tiger Tees claims his Group 1 victory with a win in the $400,000 Canadian Club Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill on March 21.

The nominations for the Moir Stakes include five three-year-olds – Petits Filous, Fontiton, Headwater, Furnaces and Haptic.

Haptic and Furnaces are both from the John O’Shea stable, Team Hawkes have nominated  Headwater while smart Melbourne fillies Petits Filous and Fontiton will have a distinct weight advantage under the weight for age conditions.

Trainer Ciaron Maher has prepared Petits Filous for four wins from four starts to date and she heads to the Moir Stakes on the back of a win in the Listed $120,000 Cap D’Antibes Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on September 12.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.