The 2016 Australian Guineas will be the major autumn target for Gold Symphony, but trainer Peter Moody is still confident that the lightly-raced colt is ready to perform well in the Inglis Dash at Flemington tomorrow.
Gold Symphony will return to the races in the 2016 Inglis Dash at Flemington this weekend. Photo by: Adrienne Bicknell
Gold Symphony made his racing debut with a victory in the Land Engineering Maiden Plate (1200m) at Mornington in July last year and he went on to take out the Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 15 and the Group 3 McNeil Stakes (1200m) on August 29, but he was sent to the spelling paddock prematurely after he came down with a virus after travelling to Sydney for the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m).
Moody told Racing Ahead that Gold Symphony absolutely thrived during his stint in the spelling paddock and he said that he is delighted with the condition of the three-year-old ahead of the start of his autumn campaign.
“He went to the paddock early,” Moody said.
“We took him to Sydney for the Golden Rose and he had a little bit of a virus when he got there – he didn’t get too sick, but just enough not to run him.
“He was in great shape then, but he has had a good long spell and he probably gets an advantage over some of the other horses that raced deep into the spring because he really had the benefit of spring and he furnished into a magnificent individual.
“I am very pleased with the way that he has prepped up.”
Moody confirmed that the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 5 will be the major autumn target for Gold Symphony and he admits that the son of Reward For Effort will not be at peak condition for the Inglis Dash tomorrow, but he still believes that the colt is a winning chance over 1100 metres.
“He is still a fair way off his target – we are hoping that he can be a Guineas horse – but this was a nice race to kick him off in and the money was just too good to give up,” Moody said.
“He is not wound up and we haven’t wound the screws down, but he is going well.
“He seems a little bit more relaxed this time around, which gives me confident that we could aim at a race like the Guineas over a mile, but only time will tell whether he is going to get that trip.
“I am respectful of the fact that there are a couple of smart horses in it that are rock hard fit and we are not going to start and end our prep tomorrow, but we thought it was a good opportunity.”
Gold Symphony is currently available at 2016 Inglis Dash odds of $4.60 with Ladbrokes and he is on the second line of betting behind the talented Hellbent ($2.60).
