Kinglike’s inexperience is a concern for Peter Moody as the trainer prepares for the colt for the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes.
The three-year-old will be lining up for his fifth start when he contests the Group One sprint at Flemington on Saturday.
“He lacks experience on some of his competition, even his three-year-old competition,” Moody said.
“That’s probably the slight issue as he’s still learning his craft.
“He was doing a few things wrong in his races last time and he’s not going to be able to do that on Saturday.”
The trainer reported the son of Exceed And Excel has trialled well and galloped impressively for his racetrack return.
While his trackwork and a Cranbourne barrier trial victory suggest Kinglike has made improvement from a spring colt to an autumn three-year-old, Moody still wants to see him perform on race day.
“I think he’s only going to improve with racing under his belt but I’m mindful of the fact that he’s an entire with very good breeding upside,” he said.
“You don’t want to be running these horses for the sake of running them but at the end of the day they are racehorses and he needs that experience.
“He’s going to get some of it on Saturday.”
Moody is confident Kinglike will acquit himself well but at the same time has respect for the opposition.
Entries for Saturday’s 1000m dash include Chautauqua, Australia’s equal highest-rated galloper on world rankings, Flemington straight-track Group One winner Terravista and high class three-year-olds Exosphere and Japonisme.
But Moody takes heart that Kinglike has shown a liking for the straight Flemington track with his two defeats, from four starts, coming on his home track at Caulfield.
“It’s no small task but he was good up the straight in the Danehill back in the spring and shows a liking for that track,” Moody said.
“It’s a good Group One field but he’s a colt that I’ve got a very good opinion of.”
With a 10-meeting suspension handed out to Glen Boss last Saturday, Damian Lane has been booked for the Kinglike ride.
Moody is looking for a fourth Lightning win having prepared the unbeaten Black Caviar to win the race three times.
Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au
