Thinking Of You is one of only nine fillies that have been included in the 2014 Flight Stakes nominations, but trainer Peter Moody is set to keep the three-year-old in Melbourne for the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Thinking Of You is set to make her debut at Stakes level in the Edward Manifold Stakes at Flemington this weeekend. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Thinking Of You made her racing debut with a comfortable three lengths victory in the Become A Young Member Maiden (1100m) at Wodonga on September 1 and she backed that performance up with a win over the highly rated Pickin’ Time in the TMB Printing Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield on September 20.
The Thorn Park filly has been included in the nominations for the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) that will be held at Caulfield next weekend and Moody told Racing.com that he would prefer to keep Thinking Of You in Melbourne for the Edward Manifold Stakes and the Thousand Guineas rather than ask her to travel to Sydney for the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
“I’ll have a look at the make-up of both races, but the ideal scenario would be to run in the Manifold here because it keeps the door slightly ajar to run in the Thousand Guineas,” Moody said.
“If we go to Sydney and run in the Flight then I wouldn’t travel her up and travel her back and run her in the) Guineas, particularly now it’s on the Saturday not the Wednesday and you’ve only got seven days where previously you used to have ten.
“I would have a leaning to the Edward Manifold, but if the Flight presents as a race that I thought we could genuinely win then I’ll have to have a close look at it.”
Thinking Of You is currently on the third line of the 2014 Flight Stakes betting market with Ladbrokes Australia and her withdrawal would increase the stranglehold that First Seal ($2.00) and Winx ($2.25) have on the betting market.
Winx stamped herself as Flight Stakes favourite when she upset Earthquake to record an impressive three lengths victory in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on September 6, but she was leapfrogged at the top of betting for the Group 1 event after First Seal worked home strongly to take out the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) at the same venue on September 20.
Moody has previously had two runners in the Flight Stakes and finished second with both Sensibility in 2013 and Hallowell Belle in 2011.
