3 minute read
Stablemate Mo’unga ready for Randwick Guineas.
Annabel Neasham has decided to run dual Group 3 winner Prague (Redoute's Choice) in the Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m) at Flemington on Saturday instead of the Canterbury Stakes (Gr 1, 1300m) at Randwick.
The son of Redoute's Choice (Danehill) kicked off his autumn campaign with a third place finish behind Peltzer (So You Think) in the Eskimo Prince Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Randwick on February 6 and he warmed up for this assault on the Newmarket Handicap by winning a trial over 950 metres at Canterbury on February 23.
Meanwhile, Mo'unga (Savabeel) will give the trainer another chance to win a Group 1 on Saturday, when he tackles the Randwick Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m).
The son of Savabeel (Zabeel) landed his first three starts for trainer Chris Waller, including the Dulcify Handicap (Listed, 1500m) and he was last seen finishing third behind Tagaloa (Kord Kanaloa) on his first start for Neasham in the CS Hayes Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) on February 13.
Neasham said she was looking forward to Saturday and the prospect of landing her first Group 1 as a trainer.
"Everyone wants to win Group 1s, if we can do it in our first year of training it'd be fairly special,'' Neasham said.
"All my owners have been great, I haven't felt pressurised. When you have horses like Mo'unga and Prague, horses who are hopefully going to stand at stud, there's an element of pressure there.
"I'm quite good at not letting pressure get to me, I think you have to enjoy it but I'm sure there will be a few nerves come Saturday lunch time."
Mo'unga wears blinkers for the first time, on the recommendation of jockeys James McDonald and Jamie Kah, and she said there's been a change in the horse since he's been working in them.
"He doesn't show you a massive amount at home and he doesn't show the punters much in trials,'' she said.
"A few people have told me that's just him so it was a bit of a relief that he ran so well.
"He's been working very well, he's had two gallops with the shades on and it seems to have switched him on. They will help him travel, he never looks like he travels all that well in the run.
"I think everybody is going to need to find a length or two to get near Aegon and hopefully they might make the difference."
