Mossfun missed the entire 2014 Spring Racing Carnival, but co-trainer Michael Hawkes is delighted with the physical condition of the filly as she begins preparations for an autumn campaign.
Mossfun has not been seen at the races since her memorable win in the 2014 Golden Slipper. Photo by: Steve Hart
Mossfun stamped herself as one of the best two-year-olds in Australia when she won the Group 3 Widden Stakes (1100m), Group 2 Silver Slipper Sakes (1100m) and Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, but has not been seen at the races since her Golden Slipper win.
The Mossman filly was set to return to racing in the Group 2 San Domenico Stakes (1000m), but Team Hawkes were forced to send her back to spelling paddock after she contracted a virus and they opted against running her first-up in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day.
Hawkes said that it would have been too much of an ask for Mossfun to take on the best three-year-olds in Australia in the Coolmore Stud Stakes without a lead-up run, but he told Racing Ahead that he could not have been happier with the three-year-old when he inspected her last Thursday.
“I saw Mossfun on Thursday as well,” Hawkes said.
“She looks great.
“We probably just ran out of time with her.
“When she got the virus she was ready to go and we backed off her and gave her that short let-up.
“To head into a Coolmore with the caliber of field that it was, we just thought that she was too soft and it was a waste of time and we decided to give her a break.
“She looks awesome and she is just thriving.
“She has gotten a bit taller, I think and a lot stronger.”
Hawkes said that Team Hawkes had yet to decide what program that Mossfun will follow during her autumn campaign, but Group 1 sprinting events like the Oakleigh Plate (1100m), Newmarket Handicap (1200m), William Reid Stakes (1200m), The Galaxy (1100m) and the T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) could all be on the agenda for the Golden Slipper winner.
Team Hawkes are set to have an extremely strong hand in the sprinting division in the autumn; with Darley Classic runner-up Terravista and the unbeaten Deep Field also said to contest a host of Group 1 events during their autumn preparations.
Mossfun has recorded four wins from her five race starts and has accumulated just under $2.5 million in prizemoney for connections.
