Mossfun impressed onlookers with a strong performance in a barrier trial at Warwick Farm yesterday and co-trainer John Hawkes has revealed that the talented filly will likely have one more trial before she makes her much-anticipated return to racing.
Mossfun was one of the star juvenile performers during the 2013/2014 racing season. Photo by: Steve Hart
Mossfun has not been seen at the races since she stormed home from the tail of the field to record a memorable win in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens last March due to a virus that kept her out of the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival, but Hawkes told Racing Ahead that he was happy with the condition of the daughter of Mossman and is confident that she is almost ready for a return to racing.
“She looks great this time,” Hawkes said.
“Things never went right last time, she got a virus so we pulled the pin and just decided to give her a good spell.
“She trialed really well yesterday and it was unfortunate that the track was very wet and they had to call the other trials off, but she handles the soft ground and it wasn’t really a problem for her.
“She will most likely trial again and then we will decide whether she goes to Melbourne or stays in Sydney.
“At this point in time she is progressing on really well.
“We just want to give her a couple of trials so we can get her fitness levels right up before we take her to the races.”
Co-trainer Michael Hawkes revealed at the end of last year that Mossfun would likely be set for Group 1 sprinting events like the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 28, the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21 and the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on April 4, but Hawkes said that a final decision on the program that Mossfun would follow this campaign would not be made until she contests another barrier trial within the next fortnight.
“There are a lot of options on, but she is perhaps more a sprinting filly there getting over a bit more ground,” Hawkes said.
“There are lots of races and she has already won at the highest level, so anything she can do from here would be a bonus.
“She looks great and she had a really good
“Everything is on schedule at this stage.”
Mossfun won the Inglis Nursery (1000m), Group 3 Widden Stakes (1100m) and Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) during her juvenile campaign before her memorable victory in the Golden Slipper.
