El Roca and Moment Of Change are set to meet in the 2014 Regal Roller Stakes after both horses were included in the nominations for the Listed event that will be held at Caulfield on Saturday.
Moment Of Change is set to return to the races in the Regal Roller Stakes at Caulfield this weekend. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
El Roca has not been seen at the races since he finished ninth in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 12 and he will be returning to Melbourne racing for the first time since he finished a luckless fifth in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 12 last year.
The Fastnet Rock entire was given a quiet barrier trial over 1040 metres at Te Teko last week and he will have the chance to maintain his undefeated first-up record in the Regal Roller Stakes this weekend.
Moment Of Change had a lengthy stint in the spelling paddock after he finished 12th in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 8 and he is set to return to the races at his favourite racecourse this weekend.
The Barley A Moment gelding scored his maiden win at Group 1 level in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) during the 2012 Spring Racing Carnival and he maintained his stellar record at the track with wins in the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) and Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) during the 2014 Melbourne Festival Of Racing.
Moment Of Change and El Roca are expected to be on top of Regal Roller Stakes betting market, but one competitor that will have a fitness edge over the leading duo is talented mare Thiamandi.
Thiamandi recorded strong wins at Morphettville on June 28 and at Caulfield on July 5 before she produced the best performance of her racing career to date when he took out the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on July 26.
The Street Boss mare has been included in the nominations for both the Regal Roller Stakes and the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1200m) as has Nigel Blackiston-trained Desert Jeuney.
One of the most interesting runners in the 2014 Regal Roller Stakes is set to be Kencella, who will be making his debut for the Chris Waller stable in the Listed event.
Kencella scored his maiden win at Group level in the Maurice McCarten Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22, under the care of John O’Shea, but he failed to fire when given a chance at Group 1 level in The Galaxy (1100m) at the same venue a week later.
The Exceed And Excel gelding has performed well in two barrier trials over 600 metres at Rosehill Gardens on July 7 and July 21 and has recorded two wins from his two first-up starts.
Other interesting horses in the 2014 Regal Roller Stakes nominations include the consistent Hard Stride, veteran sprinter Broken, the resuming Club Command, Robert Smerdon-trained Electric Fusion and last start winner Jemerica.
