Sir Moments pleases in Festival Stakes lead up gallop

Eagle Farm trainer Steven O’Dea has given Sir Moments the all clear to tackle the Listed $100,000 Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday after a pleasing final gallop heading into the weekend.

Sir Moments, above, has prepared for the Festival Stakes at Rosehill with a solid gallop at Randwick on Tuesday morning. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Sir Moments, above, has prepared for the Festival Stakes at Rosehill with a solid gallop at Randwick on Tuesday morning. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Sir Moments has been in Sydney for a week as he prepares for the Group 2 $175,000 Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on December 13 and O’Dea will uses Saturday’s race as a good dress rehearsal for the Summer feature ‘mile’.

“We brought him here a fit horse and he’s ready for Saturday’s race,” O’Dea told Racenet.

“Obviously his main goal is the Villiers but he couldn’t be any better for the 1500 metres this week.”

Sir Moments worked over 1000m on the steeple grass at Randwick on Tuesday morning, clocking an overall time of 1.03.1s and running home the final 400m in 23.1s.

“He worked over 1000 metres picking up over the last 400 and it was good work,” O’Dea said.

Sir Moments rose into the spotlight during the Brisbane Winter Carnival with a stunning late finishing win in the Group 2 $350,000 Sky Racing Queensland Guineas (1400m) at Eagle Farm in May and repeated that effort with a last to first win in the Listed $125,000 Best Security Daybreak Lover (1600m) at Eagle Farm seven days later.

The Choisir four year old has had two runs from a spell and resumed with a third to Hopfgarten and Rudy in a 1350m Handicap at Doomben on November 1 and then earned a trip to Sydney for the Villiers Stakes with a win in the $65,000 Super Starfish Open Handicap over 1400m at the Gold Coast on November 15.

Premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller has nominated seven for the Festival Stakes with last start winners Heart Testa and Strawberry Boy looking his strongest chances.

His other entrants are Amovatio, Hoylonny, I’m Imposing, Multilateral and You’ll Never Know.

Heart Testa was back in the winner’s circle last start beating Festival Stakes entry Mouro in the $85,000 Cellarbrations Kingswood Park Handicap (1350m) at Rosehill on November 15.

At his previous start the Testa Rosa five year old finished third to stablemate Strawberry Road in the Listed $100,000 Lander Toyota Ladies Day Cup (1400m) at Hawkesbury on November 6.

Trainer Tony McEvoy has also nominated Mouro for the Listed $100,000 Tattersall’s Recognition Stakes (1630m) at Doomben on Saturday and will check on the weather and the state of the tracks before making a decision on which venue to run at.

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.