Crown Oaks winner Mosheen is back on track for the Spring after recovering from a throat operation to rectify a minor breathing problem.
Mosheen is back on track for the Spring after throat surgery. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Caulfield trainer Robert Smerdon has given Mosheen the all clear to resume in the Group 3 $150,000 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) at Flemington on September 8 after the mare completed a solid workout on the course proper this morning.
“She galloped on the course proper this morning and was really keen, no sign of any problem,” said Smerdon.
“That’s the second piece of strong work she’s done since she had the procedure on her throat.”
“She’s been scoped every second day, I couldn’t be happier with her.”
Mosheen’s regular jockey Danny Nikolic has been aboard the four year old in today’s work and was more than pleased with the result.
“Her work was perfect, she pulled up well, her breathing was good, everything is looking great,” Nikolic said.
Smerdon had to put the four times Group 1 winner’s Spring campaign on hold when it was discovered that she was having breathing difficulties and corrective surgery was required.
But the hiccup hasn’t altered Spring plans dramatically and instead of Mosheen running this week in the Group 2 $220,000 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, the Fastnet Rock mare will kick off her Cox Plate campaign at Flemington next week.
Smerdon will map out a plan towards the Group 1 $400,000 David Jones Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on October 13 and then onto to the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley a fortnight later.
“I’ve always had the Toorak Handicap in the back of my mind,” Smerdon said.
“She has a terrific record over 1600m and, being a mare, she will get a 2kg allowance and get into a handicap of that nature with a reasonable weight. It was a real option.”
Mosheen has shown her liking for the 1600m with two Group 1 wins over the ‘mile’ in the $750,000 Australian Guineas at Flemington on March 3 and the $500,000 Turnpoint Royal Randwick Guineas at Randwick on March 17.
She also took out the 1600m Group 2 $250,000 Tabcorp Edward Manifold Stakes at Flemington on October 2.
The 1600m of the Toorak will be a good stepping stone to the 2040m of the Cox Plate and Mosheen will head into the ‘Weight for age Championship’ at Moonee Valley in top order.
Mosheen has maintained her position high up in the early market order for the Cox Plate and is currently on the third line of betting at $9 behind the Gai Waterhouse pair of More Joyous $6 and Pierro $7.
Multiple Group 1 winner More Joyous is on target to begin her Cox Plate countdown in the Listed $100,000 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on September 15 after an easy Randwick barrier trial win today.
And two year old Triple Crown winner Pierro is set to resume on Saturday at Rosehill in the Group 3 $125,000 The Run To The Rose (1200m) as his first step towards the Cox Plate.
