Tulloch Lodge claims a healthy appetite for racing gives Pheidon an undeniable chance of causing a Kingston Town Classic upset.
Pheidon goes into the $500,000 race at Ascot on Saturday as one of three eastern states-trained horses trying to win the last Australian Group One race for the calendar year.
But despite a torrid spring campaign which started with a Sydney barrier trial on August 1 and finished with a narrow defeat in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown on November 15, Pheidon is showing no signs of a tired racehorse.
“He’s a horse that can stay in work a long time,” said trainer Gai Waterhouse’s assistant Mark Newnham.
“He did it at his first preparation when he went from winning a maiden at Wyong to winning a Group Two at Moonee Valley so travel and racing don’t worry him.”
. Newnham insists the profile of the Kingston Town Classic is a perfect fit for Pheidon, a winner over 2040m at Moonee Valley in October.
The four-year-old invariably races in the first three horses, often making him hard to run down.
“He’s a horse who makes his own luck,” Newnham said.
“Anything from a mile to 2000 (metres) is his right distance so you’d think at 1800 (metres) he’d be right in it.”
A Tommy Berry mount, Pheidon is a a $12 chance after drawing a middle gate.
He is a point shorter than Victorian-trained Smokin’ Joey but both horses are overshadowed in market order by another interstate galloper, the Chris Waller-trained Moriarty.
Moriarty continued to attract support on Friday, firming into clear favouritism at $3.80.
The imported stayer turned in the best Classic trial with a fast-finishing third at 1600m to Elite Belle in the Group One Railway Stakes a fortnight ago.
Hong Kong-based Douglas Whyte will ride Moriarty as Waller chases his 10th Group One win for 2014.
Article from justhorseracing.com.au