Moody Believes Angelic Light Has Right Winterbottom Stakes Form

Peter Moody has been impressed with the 2014 Winterbottom Stakes lead-up form of Angelic Light and he believes that the talented mare is the main danger to his star sprinter Moment Of Change in the Group 1 event at Ascot on Saturday.

Trainer Peter Moody is happy with Moment Of Change heading into the 2014 Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot this weekend. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Trainer Peter Moody is happy with Moment Of Change heading into the 2014 Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot this weekend. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Angelic Light upset Lankan Rupee to take out the Group 2 McEwen Sakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on September 6, finished within a length of Buffering in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1200m) at the same venue on September 26 and beat home Moment Of Change when second in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m); form that Moody believes is good enough to make Angelic Light a deserving favourite in 2014 Winterbottom Stakes betting markets.

“I’ve got a great respect for Angelic Light,” Moody told Racing Victoria.

“She was very good when she beat Lankan Rupee and then she was very good in the Manikato.

“She’s a gun little mare and deserved favourite that’s drawn well and is certainly the one to beat.

“If we can beat her we can win the race.”

While Moody rates Angelic Light as the horse to beat in the Winterbottom Stakes, he said that he is happy with the form of Moment Of Change heading into the Group 1 event and is thrilled with the way that the Barely A Moment gelding has settled into his new environment in Perth.

Moment Of Change finished a close second behind Buffering in last year’s Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) and Moody believes that the face the six-year-old has already had a trip to Western Australia gives him an advantage over some of the other Eastern Seaboard-based runners in the race.

“He’s probably settled in a bit better than some of the opposition; it’s not a worry for him he’s pretty seasoned at this sort of thing,” Moody said.

“He’s in good shape, he travelled over very well and he knows where he is and is relaxed.”

Moment Of Change started his 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a second place finish in the Listed Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 16 and suffered an injury when he finished at the tail of the field in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at the same venue a fortnight later.

The triple Group 1 winner returned to racing with a close eighth in the Manikato Stakes and he was far from disgraced when fifth in the Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 8.

Moment Of Change is currently available at 2014 Winterbottom Stakes odds of $4.20 and is on the second line of betting behind Angelic Light with Ladbrokes Australia.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.