Flying mare puts in a top trial for Group 1 sprint
SPEEDY mare Houtzen looks primed for an assault on the $500,000 Group 1 Moir Stakes after a sizzling performance in the McEwen Stakes on Saturday.
Part-owned by Geelong’s Peter Mullen, Houtzen finished a close second to boom horse Nature Strip, who set a course record 56.95sec for the 1000m at Moonee Valley.
“I was thrilled as she wobbled around the corner a bit and probably should have won,” trainer Toby Edmonds said.
The 2017 Magic Millions winner will next run in the Moir Stakes on September 28, when she is likely to come up against Nature Strip again.
Nature Strip was the $1.50 favourite in the weight-for-age sprint and trainer Darren Weir said they wanted to take luck out of the equation by holding the lead from barrier one.
The four-year-old gelding sped along in front under jockey Mark Zahra, with Sunday Escape sitting just off him, before Houtzen came off the favourite’s back in the straight to give chase.
Houtzen closed late but Nature Strip prevailed by a half head with The Everestbound Shoals 3¾ lengths away third.
Nature Strip clocked 56.95, bettering the previous best of 57.19 set by Sweet Emily in 2014.
Two of the 12 slot-holders for next month’s $13 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick have yet to declare their runner, with Nature Strip considered one of the main contenders for a slot.
Weir said he had left negotiations to the sprinter’s owners.
“They’ve said to me during the week they’ve had interest from a couple of parties,” he said.
“And they just said we hope he can win because it makes it a lot more appealing for them, and if he wins there more than likely would be a spot.”
Weir said Nature Strip was the fastest horse he had trained and was adamant the performance would bring the gelding on again for the Moir Stakes.
“The second horse is a great horse and no slouch, and she was charging,” he said. “Obviously the time backs it up.
“There will be people querying the 1200 (metres) but with that under his belt and another good solid run in the Moir, I think we’ll be right.”