Houtzen in top shape for Round 2

GOLD Coast flyer Houtzen is on target for her first Group 1 win in the Moir Stakes in Melbourne on Friday night.

The four-year-old mare had a “maintenance gallop” at The Valley yesterday and clocked 49.97sec for 800m, running the last 400m in 24.51.

“If she’s ever going to figure in a Group 1 this could be the one and we couldn’t have her any better,” trainer Toby Edmonds told Racing.com.

Houtzen just failed to run down boom horse Nature Strip in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at The Valley on September 8 in a performance that surprised Edmonds because the mare was not at her top.

Nature Strip had to run a course-record 56.95sec to beat her and Edmonds can’t wait for Round 2 at The Valley on Friday night.

“After her last race she bounced straight into the feed bin and she was quite bright the next morning and has been ever since,” Edmonds told Racing.com.

“There was a lot left in her that day. We thought we went in quite underdone and for her to do that so I was really surprised

“It didn’t flatten her at all and that was my concern in the days after, whether it would flatten her but she’s come through the run really good.

“She just came along for a maintenance gallop at The Valley (yesterday morning) but she ran up in really quick time and she looked good.”