Mossfun to run in Birthday Card Stakes

Dual acceptor Mossfun will take her place in the Group 3 $150,000 TAB Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Mossfun will run in the Birthday Card Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.

Mossfun will run in the Birthday Card Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.

The 2014 Golden Slipper winner was also included in the field for Listed $125,000 The Sebring (1200m) for the three year olds but the Hawkes Racing Team has elected to take on the fillies and mares in the first race on Golden Slipper Stakes Day.

Mossfun was handicapped with 58kg in both races and after coming up with barrier fourteen in the The Sebring the Hawkes Team made the call to run against her own sex in the Birthday Card Stakes.

But Mossfun also has drawn poorly in the Birthday Card Stakes and will jump from the outside of the field that has been reduced to nine runners following the scratching of the Ciaron Maher trained Chloe In Paris and Tawteen from the David Hayes and Tom Dabernig stable.

Chloe In Paris is also second emergency in the Group 1 $400,000 Canadian Club Galaxy (1100m) and Maher is obviously banking on a couple of withdrawals from the capacity field while Tawteen will take her place in The Sebring.

Mossfun will be having her third run back from a spell and co-trainer Michael Hawkes said they have added the winkers to the Mossman filly to try and turn her form around following two below par performance this campaign.

At her first run back since winning the Group 1 $3.5m Tooheys New Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill during last year’s Autumn Carnival Mossfun was sent out the favourite and after racing on the pace faded to finish sixth to Adrift in the Group 2 $175,000 Liberty International Underwriters Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on February 14.

Then in the Group 2 $400,000 Hyland Race Colours Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on March 7 she never threatened when sixth to Miracles Of Life.

“Obviously last start over the 1000 metres she got back and her run was ok, while first-up she just wanted to run through the bridle a little bit,” Michael Hawkes told Racing Ahead

“In hindsight we might have stepped her out over 1000 metres if we had known she would have done that, but she got stirred up at the barriers and Tommy said she just jumped and wanted to get running.

“Last start was ok and she is fitter for it and she looks good.

“The winkers go on just to keep her a little bit more focused, but we are happy with her and we can’t fault her.”

“She has done everything right and she certainly has to step-up.”

The Gerald Ryan trained Ygritte and Melbourne three year old Tahni Dancer were also dual acceptors and both fillies will run against the older mares in the Birthday Card Stakes after drawing poorly at nine and ten in The Sebring.

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.