Trainer Steve O’Dea believes that Sir Moments will face the toughest test of his racing career to date in the 2015 Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast tomorrow, but he is confident that his star galloper is a genuine winning chance in the Group 2 event.
Sir Moments has the chance to record the biggest race win of his career to date in the 2015 Hollindale Stakes. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Sir Moments has raced against good company since he made his racing debut with a second place finish in the 2012 edition of the Listed Phelan Ready Stakes (1000m) and he took out the Listed Dalrello Stakes (1200m) and Listed The Phoenix (1400m) as a two-year-old before he finished a credible seventh in the Group 1 J.J. Atkins (1600m).
The Choisir gelding made a successful transition to three-year-old racing and he took out the Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1400m) and Listed Daybreak Lover (1600m) during the 2014 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival before he was competitive in races like the Listed Festival Stakes (1500m) and Group 2 Villiers Stakes (1600m) in Sydney.
Sir Moments made a slow start to his autumn campaign in the Carbine Club Gold Coast Stakes (1200m) on March 14 and the Canadian Club Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on March 28, but he returned to his best form with an impressive victory over Hopfgarten in the Listed Logic Tails Stakes (1630m) at the same venue on April 11.
O’Dea admits that Sir Moments faces a difficult task at weight-for-age level, but he is not completely ruling out the four-year-old out of contention in the 2015 Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast this weekend.
“It’s Sir Moments’ toughest test so far and it was good to see him get back to form last start,” O’Dea told Racing Queensland.
“It’s a solid race but apart from Silent Achiever there’s no real standout.”
Sir Moments is set to return to the highest level of racing for the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben on May 9, but will likely also be included in the initial nominations for the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) at the same venue on June 6.
Sir Moments has remained steady at 2015 Hollindale Stakes odds of $17 since the betting market for the race was released at Ladbrokes on Wednesday, while talented mare Arabian Gold ($4.60) remains a narrow favourite from prolific Group 1 winner Silent Achiever ($5), John Thompson-trained Hooked ($6.50), second emergency Pornichet ($6.50), imported galloper Moriarty ($7.50), Chris Waller-trained Hawkspur ($8) and JRA Plate runner-up Leebaz ($8).
