Moira favoured in Queen’s Plate
She was definitely the class of the Woodbine Oaks, but Kevin Attard is expecting a little more of filly Moira on Sunday.
Moira was installed as the early 5-2 favourite Wednesday for the 163rd running of the $1-million Queen’s Plate. A big reason for that was her emphatic 10- 3 ⁄ 4 -length win in the Woodbine Oaks last month at Woodbine Racetrack.
Moira’s winning time of 1:49.78 was better than what Sir for Sure posted (1:50.62) in winning the Plate Trial on the same day. That’s impressive given both races are 1 1⁄8 miles on Woodbine’s Tapeta surface, which will be the same ground for the 1-⁄4-mile 1 Plate on Sunday.
Moira’s impressive Oaks win came despite running without hind shoes following a pre-race incident in the paddock. But Attard feels Moira will have to be better in order to capture the opening event of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown.
“I think she needs to take another step forward again,” Attard said Wednesday following the race draw at Woodbine. “It’s not to say she can’t. She has trained like she can, she looks like she can … everything is kind of heading in the right direction.”
Moira will break from the No. 8 post in the 11-horse field. Rondure, the 3-1 second pick, drew the No. 6 post, just outside of 5-1 third selection Duke of Love.
“They’ll be loading inside out (Sunday); we didn’t want to be in the gate for too long,” Attard said, explaining why he took his post position. “She’s a little bit of an antsy filly.
“Also, I think it kind of gives us a better look at what everybody else is doing. It’s a pretty good run to the first turn so ( jockey Rafael Hernandez) should be able to see how the race is unfolding and place her where he wants.”
The field, with post position, jockey and early odds, includes: (1) Hall of Dreams, Patrick Husbands, 12-1; (2) Shamateur, Luis Contreras, 30-1; (3) Ironstone, Kazushi Kimura, 12-1; (4) The Minkster, David Moran, 10-1; (5) Duke of Love, Justin Stein, 5-1; (6) Rondure, Flavien Prat, 3-1; (7) Dancin in Da’nile, Shaun Bridgmohan, 30-1; (8) Moira, Hernandez, 5-2; (9) Hunt Master, Emma-Jayne Wilson, 30-1; (10) Sir for Sure, Declan Carroll, 8-1; and (11) Causin’ Mayhem, Antonio Gallardo, 6-1.
This marks the second straight year Attard will attempt the OaksPlate double. Munnyfor Ro was fourth in the Plate last year and one of four horses Attard had in the race. H C Holiday finished third while Harlan Estate was seventh and Haddassah took eighth. Four Oaks champions have gone on to win the Plate — Holy Helena (2017), Lexie Lou (2014), Inglorious (2011) and Dancethruthedawn (2001).
Moira has won both of her 2022 starts and hit the winner’s circle in three of four career races. The exception was a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Mazarine Stakes at Woodbine last November. Mrs. Barbara, a horse owned by Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson, won that event en route to being named Canada’s champion two-year-old filly.
Attard said he couldn’t be happier with Moira’s condition heading into the Plate.
“I think this is the best she has ever looked,” he said. “She has put on weight, her coat (looks great), I couldn’t ask her to be going into the race any better at this point.”
And the weight gain, Attard said, is a very good sign because Moira traditionally has trouble keeping weight on.
“She’s a tough filly to kind of hold weight,” he said. “She’s big and long so she’s not like a typical robust horse. I’m very pleased with where she’s at right now.”
Mark Casse, Canada’s champion trainer the past 11 years, has two horses in the field — Sir for Sure and Hall of Dreams, who were 1-2 in the Plate Trial