Lidari finished a close third behind Fiorente in the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes last year and trainer Peter Moody is confident that the imported galloper will be competitive when he contests the race for the second straight year at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Lidari is chasing his first race win since he took out the Blamey Stakes during the 2014 Melbourne Festival Of Racing. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Lidari started his 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a fifth place finish in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) and was slightly disappointing to the neutral observer, but Moody told Racing Ahead that he was happy with the performance of the Acclamation entire and he is expecting another strong effort in the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes this weekend.
“I was pleased enough with his run first-up,” Moody said.
“He is an older entire now and he probably took just one run to hit his straps.
“His second-up record is quiet good and he ran well in this race last year.
“He has trained on nicely and I expect him to go there and be very competitive again.
“The really pleasing thing that we did take away from his run the other was the manner in which he relaxed and we took a lot of positives out of that race hoping that we could get him up to a mile and a quarter and maybe even a mile and a half mark this time around.”
The Cleaner is set to make sure that the 2014 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes is run at a genuine tempo and Moody said that he is delighted that the popular gelding will be setting the pace in the early stages of the Group 2 event.
Moody said that he would like to see a horse like The Cleaner engaged in all weight-for-age events and he believes that Lidari will be able to slot in and find a nice position in the early stages of the race.
“I think that it is terrific.
“I would love to see the likes of The Cleaner, Sweet Idea and Moment Of Change in all these good races because you are guaranteed a tempo, which makes for incident free racing and gives the jockeys a chance to find their stride and find a position.
“There is nothing worse than these stop, start affairs where everybody is checking off heels.
“I think that it is tremendous for racing when you know there is going to be a genuine tempo and with this type of horse you know that you are going to get it.
“I will leave that to Luke, but he probably finds a midfield spot.
“Luke (Nolen) will just ride him where he is comfortable and with that good genuine tempo it should see him relax well again and quicken off it.”
Lidari is set to run in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on September 20 before Moody decides whether to run the five-year-old in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 18 or the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 25.
Star Rolling ($4.40) remains a narrow favourite in Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes betting markets from The Cleaner ($4.80), while Lidari is available at Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes odds of $7.
