THE FORECAST: BEWARE THE WAKING MOODY

Speaking from personal experience, Peter Moody is not a man I would like to underestimate.

On one of a few tours of New Zealand a few years ago, Moods was helping me to understand the nuances of thoroughbred assessment. The main takeaways I took from those trips was that no horse is perfect so learn which faults you can live with, and to buy a horse for the job in mind – for example, bluntly, don’t buy a sprinter expecting to win an Oaks.

They say familiarity breeds contempt. While I’ve certainly never lost respect for the big Queenslander, I did let my guard down on one particular trip and after poking the XXXX guzzling bear a little too often, I found myself as the butt of a joke very much at my expense. Moods did not miss the opportunity and revelled in it.

PETER MOODY  do not underestimate this man.

So, a month or so ago when commentators murmured that the Moody / Coleman partnership was out of form, a shiver went up my spine. Underestimate the team at your peril, I know who will have the last laugh.

Sure enough, the winners have started to roll. In Adelaide, Sydney and sure enough Melbourne too, last week Moody and Coleman landed the Group 1 TJ Smith with a $21 shot that most had written off as well.

ORCHESTRAL  is a rampaging favourite for the Australian Oaks at Randwick and rightly so. She has been irresistible in victory at her last five starts and has earned her odds-on favouritism. But scroll down the field and there’s Moods again, waiting to pounce with AUTUMN ANGEL , a filly that he and Coleman have set specifically for the race.

Could another upset be on the cards? I wouldn’t discount it.

ORCHESTRAL  is rampaging favorite.

In the Queen Elizabeth PRINCESS JENNI will be out to run her rivals into the ground again and old mate MR BRIGHTSIDE will be chasing and out to prove he can win at 2000m at his fifth attempt. But can either beat VIA SISTINA? She was enormous at her Australian debut in a sit sprint, you’d think a genuine tempo would only suit her more. KOVALICA the best knockout – if there is one.

I love a Cup and although the Sydney version lacks quality this year, something has to win it. Why can’t that something be 2022 Derby  winner MANZOICE? Gai and Adrian’s stayers will make sure this is a true test, Manzoice will just keep grinding…

BEST: Bendigo R1 No. 14 Divus Romulus

BEST EACH-WAY: Bendigo R7 No. 4 Nunthorpe

BEST ROUGHIE: Randwick R8 No. 5 Kovalica