Talented mare Floria outstayed her competition to score an impressive victory in the 2014 Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm this afternoon.
Floria scores an impressive victory in the Group 2 Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm. Photo by Daniel Costello
The Moody stable opted to give Floria her first opportunity over 2400 metres after she worked home strongly in the Group 2 Eagle Farm Cup (2200m) last weekend and the decision paid dividends, with the Savabeel mare recording a tough win from a brave Moriarty and a slightly disappointing Zephyron.
Jockey Kerrin McEvoy was riding Floria in a race for the first time and the leading hoop said that he was most impressed with the strength the six-year-old showed in the final stages of the race.
“It is my first ride on the mare and I want to say thanks to Pete for putting me on and to my new manager Glen Courtney for getting me the ride,” McEvoy said.
“She has been running well and it was her first try at that trip and she dropped down nicely in weight today.
“We had a lovely run in transit from the outside gate today and it was game on from the thousand and that really played into her hands because Luke Nolen said to me that she isn’t a real sit and sprint mare and she needs to wind up and that is how the race panned out for her today.
“To her credit she was really strong late.”
Brian Hibbard, who has been looking after Floria during her stay in Brisbane, admitted that he was unsure whether Floria would run out a strong 2400 metres and was thrilled with the way she held off Moriarty in the final stages of the Brisbane Cup.
The Group 1 winning jockey said that he has been enjoying his time in Queensland and he revealed that he hopes to convince Peter Moody to run Floria in the Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) at the Sunshine Coast on June 28.
“I’ve been working for Pete for three years and this is our second Brisbane Cup in three years,” Hibbard said.
“I was a little bit worried when she got to the front and Moriarty was tailing her and we had a four and a half kilo pull I think from Saturday, but we didn’t know if she would stay the mile and a half, but she is tough and she is genuine.
“She has been to Adelaide, Sydney and up here, but she is a lovely mare and she does everything right.
“I want to stay up a bit longer and I want to run her in the Caloundra Cup.
“It is Peter’s decision and it all depends on what he has got for her in the spring.”
Floria joins retired mare Lights Of Heaven as the only Brisbane Cup winners trained by Peter Moody.
