When Mid Summer Music saluted at $31 in last year’s Stradbroke Handicap (1400m), the crowd was silent at Eagle Farm.

Peter Moody is chasing his second straight Stradbroke Handicap. Photo by: Daniel Costello.

If anyone had backed the Peter Moody-trained mare, they weren’t on track, or at the very least they weren’t celebrating too loudly.

Before the race, not even her trainer really gave her a chance, suggesting that his charge needed it to be far wetter if she was to win the prestigious sprint.

Now, 12 months down the track, Moody again heads into Queensland’s biggest race with only an outside hope.

By Moody’s own admission, My Quest For Peace is a stayer whose main goals will lie in the spring. But last year’s result shows that anything can happen in racing, particularly in handicaps, and it would take a bold individual to write off anything from Peter Moody’s yard.

Speaking at Eagle Farm on Saturday, where he prepared Miss Zenella to run second in the Queensland Oaks, the leading Victorian trainer said the five-year-old has improved since running seventh in the Doomben 10,000.

“I was originally going to send him to the paddock but he’s done well since the 10,000,” Moody said.

“He is a spring cups horse but he’s got a touch of class.

“Mid Summer Music finished ninth in the 10,000 and went on to win the Stradbroke.”

Both Moody and his stable jockey Luke Nolen have stated previously that the son of Galileo possesses the best turn of foot of any import they have been involved with.

My Quest For Peace is currently a $35 chance for the Stradbroke and will carry 54.5kg, 3.5kg less than topweight Buffering.

Current favourite for the $1.36 million sprint is Queensland Guineas winner Sizzling ($4.60) who won on Stradbroke day last year as a two-year-old in the Group 1 TJ Smith.

Three-year-olds dominate the market, with Epaulette ($6), Your Song ($6) and Better Than Ready ($6.50) occupying the next three lines of betting.