Unimpressive efforts in a recent track session by a fellow stable inmate will direct Ole Dancer towards the fillies’ Stakes at Flemington.
Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman’s Sheza Alibi had lined up for her autumn debut in the Listed Desirable Stakes (1400m) on Saturday, leaving Ole Dancer to challenge seasoned mares in the Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m).
Tuesday’s lacklustre gallop from Sheza Alibi resulted in the team opting to interchange the runners.
Moody views the Desirable Stakes as the less demanding race for Ole Dancer, matching her with contemporaries.
“She’s not wound up or screwed down as we’re mindful of not wanting her to have a gut-buster 14 days before the Surround, which is a Group 1, and ultimately, we want to be going around two or three runs after that,” Moody said.
“Class will take her a long way, unless one of the other fillies really jumps out of the ground, so I would suggest it would be hard to see her getting beat.”
Ole Dancer has been aimed at the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on February 28 ever since her break post the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) triumph last spring.
She holds three wins from five starts, her unplaced runs chalked up to tough barriers by Moody.
Some improved luck could see her unblemished, treading a trail akin to distant kin Black Caviar, honoree of Saturday’s marquee Black Caviar Lightning.
Ole Kirk, Ole Dancer’s sire, descends from a sibling of Black Caviar.
“The times she got beat she had bad barriers, so we rode her stone cold and she ran home super,” Moody said of Ole Dancer.
“We’ve probably got to ride her cold on Saturday, seven of seven, and the filly of Danny O’Brien’s (Sass Appeal) probably leads and controls the tempo and is probably the one we have to beat.
“It’s not going to be an easy task, but it will be a nice gallop for her, the track looks enormous and the rain we had on Wednesday is the best thing that has happened to every track in Victoria.
“All being well, this will lead us to the Surround in a couple of weeks.”
Visit online bookmakers to find betting markets for the race in the Desirable Stakes.
The post Race switch to suit Ole Dancer first appeared on Just Horse Racing.
