Moody sweating on Caulfield Cup starts for Lidari and Brambles

Leading Melbourne trainer Peter Moody is sweating on a start in the Group 1 $3m Crown Golden Ale Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on Saturday for his two in-form stayers Lidari and Brambles.

Lidari, white cap, Brambles. blue cap, laid their claims for the Caulfield Cup after running 2nd and 3rd to Lucia Valenitina, green, in the Turnbull Stakes.

Lidari, white cap, Brambles. blue cap, laid their claims for the Caulfield Cup after running 2nd and 3rd to Lucia Valenitina, green, in the Turnbull Stakes. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

The two stayers are peaking at the right time after finishing second and third to Caulfield Cup favourite Lucia Valentina in the Group 1 $500,000 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 4.

In the latest Caulfield Cup calculations, Lidari and Brambles are currently nineteenth and twentieth in the order of entry for the Caulfield Cup and will need plenty of luck to go their way if they are to sneak in the final eighteen horse field when it is decided on Tuesday.

Moody is confident if one or both of them got into the final field, they would be right in the finish and possibly deliver him his first Caulfield Cup trophy.

“They are going great and obviously I am very happy with both horses and we would go there with some confidence if they did get a run,” Moody told the Herald Sun.

“If they don’t get a run, Brambles will run in the Coongy (on Saturday) and Lidari will run in the Geelong Cup.”

“If Brambles misses a run in the Caulfield Cup I would probably not worry about the Melbourne Cup. I would probably go to the Mackinnon after the Coongy. Of course, if he does sneak in, it’s a whole different ball game.”

Moody has done an outstanding job with Brambles who spent almost two years on the sidelines because of a tendon injury after winning the 2012 Group 1 $500,000 Channel Seven Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm.

Brambles was back in the winner’s stall in a 1700m Handicap at Flemington on September 13 for the first time since winning the Queensland Derby before running third in the Turnbull Stakes.

Moody gave Brambles three runs during the Autumn and Winter earlier in the year before bringing him back for a Spring Carnival campaign.

Brambles was only beaten three lengths when eighth to Star Rolling in the Group 2 $200,000 Back To Caulfield P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 16  before running an improved race to finish second to Stipulate in the Listed $120,000 Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock Stakes (170m) at Caulfield on August 30 before winning at Flemington.

While former French stayer Lidari has been racing consistently during this Spring Carnival campaign with a fourth to The Cleaner in the Group 2 $250,000 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on September 6 and another fourth to Foreteller in the Group 1 $400,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on September 20 prior to his second in the Turnbull Stakes.

The Kris Lees trained Lucia Valentina heads the Caulfield Cup market order with Ladbrokes.com.au at $5 ahead of the two Japanese gallopers Bande at $7.50 and Admore Rakti at $11.

Last year’s Caulfield Cup runner up Dandino is also a $11 chance ahead of My Ambivalent and the Chris Waller trained Who Shot Thebarman at $13 while Brambles and Lidari are both marked at $51.

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.