Moment Of Change is Moody’s pick for Memsie Stakes

Caulfield 1400m specialist Moment Of Change is trainer Peter Moody’s pick over stablemate Dissident in the Group 1 $400,000 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Moment Of Change is trainer Peter Moody's pick over Dissident in the Memsie Stakes.

Moment Of Change is trainer Peter Moody's pick over Dissident in the Memsie Stakes. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Moment  Of Change has recorded four wins from four starts over the 1400m course on his home track with his only defeat at Caulfield being his last start second to Hard Stride over 1200m when first up in the Listed $120,000 Winslow Group Regal Roller Stakes on August 16.

Three of his wins over the course and distance have been at Group 1 level with Luke Nolen aboard with the top jockey rating the six year old perfectly in front on two occasions.

Moment Of Change sat on the pace when he scored his first Group 1 win the 2012 $400,000 Clamms Seafood Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) beating We’re Gonna Rock and Solzhenitsyn.

Then after several Group 1 placings the Barley A Moment gelding was back in the Group 1 winner’s stall after a master front running ride from Nolen that saw him hold off the fast finishing Eurozone to take out the $400,000 Sportingbet C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) on February 8.

Then two weeks later Nolen repeated his front running tactics to lead all of the way to beat Sertorius and Pinwheel in the Group 1 $500,000 Cathay Pacific Futurity Stakes (1400m).

Moment Of Change will be primed for the weight for age contest on Saturday with one run under his belt while Dissident will be first up after missing a run last Saturday in the Group 2 $175,000 Pro-Ride Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Randwick because of the heavy track conditions.

Moody immediately transferred Dissident from his Sydney base at Randwick to Caulfield but admitted after a Tuesday morning hit out the four year old might need more time to adjust to the Melbourne way of going.

“He hadn’t been the Melbourne direction for a while so it took him a while to get on his right leg,” Moody told AAP.

“It will be interesting how he takes that into Saturday, but certainly Moment Of Change is the pick of my two at this stage at this track and trip.”

Dissident was ranked as one of the top three year olds last start season and collected wins in the Group 2 $200,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on March 1 and the Group 1 $600,000 Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick on March 15.

The Sebring stallion was due to kick of his Spring Carnival campaign in the Warwick Stakes but Moody will now use the Memsie Stakes as his starting point as he heads towards the  Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 25.

Moment Of Change is also nominated for the Cox Plate along with other stable runners Brambles, Kitten On The Run, Stamina, Spirit Of Heaven and three year olds Better Land and Bring Me The Maid.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.