A CHANGE in training tactics with perennial bridesmaid Wanted enabled Peter Moody to snare the $1 million Group 1 Newmarket Handicap only minutes before a massive hail storm forced the postponement of the remainder of the Super Saturday card at Flemington.
Frustrated after Wanted had run three seconds and a fourth at his recent Group One starts, Moody decided a change of environment might do the trick and added some work in the country over the jumps which paid handsome dividends.
With lightning flashing and the big storm bearing down, Wanted, $13, was taken straight to the lead by Luke Nolen and found plenty to beat Eagle Falls, $10, and Starspangledbanner, $8.50, in the process silencing the critics who said he could not run a strong 1200m.“He's one of the best sprinters in the land and on today's performance there's probably no better sprinter in Australia,” Moody said. “I'm very happy because we’ve had a frustrating run of placings in big races with this bloke and it was great to get a Group One on his resume.
“Today is the day we wanted. We were beaten by a freakish performance (by Nicconi) in the Lightning and we were probably a tad greedy running him in the two (Group One races) in between but thankfully he's bounced back today.”
“I have to give full credit to Quinten Scott and his team down in Cranbourne. I approached the stewards for permission to take him away from the stables because I just thought the back-up in the seven days may have floored him a bit and Quinnie and his staff have done a wonderful job down there. They work on a lot of our horses,” Moody said.
“We have kept him out of the box. We paddock trained him. He has popped over a few logs. It was just a change of scenery. Fitness wasn’t an issue. My team at home have done a fantastic job over the last six or seven months with this bloke to get him ready for today.”
Moody also praised the Nolen ride. “He carried and nursed him as long as he could and it was long overdue because he is a damn good colt and he deserved a Group One one on his resume.”
Moody will now dispatch three-year-old Wanted to Sydney where the T J Smith will be his main target.
Nolen told of a change of tactics that had been devised for the Newmarket. “Pete said just try to get along with him, don’t pull him around too much like we have in previous runs and I have to say he was right.”
Within minutes of the field returning to the enclosure Flemington was blanketed in hail and ice as one of the worst storms ever to hit Melbourne arrived. Shane Templeton told viewers of TVN it was even worse than the huge downpour that delayed the running of Van der Hum’s Melbourne Cup in the 70s.
All Silent, previously unbeaten down the straight at Flemington and sent out the $6.50 favorite, finished 11th. Jockey Nick Hall said the race didn't fall into place.
Trainer David Hayes was delighted with the effort of Eagle Falls, which loomed to win but had to be content with second. He will now head to Dubai for a feature race but there is some doubt whether stablemate Nicconi will go to England as planned.
Oakleigh Plate winner, Staspangledbanner, ran a gallant third at last start for the Leon Corstens stable after being sold recently to Coolmore Stud for $10 million. He will head to Ireland to be trained by Aidan O'Brien.
