Bel Sprinter will need a bit of luck when he resumes in the Moir Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night after drawing the inside barrier for the $450,000 Group 1 event.
Bel Sprinter will have to overcome the inside barrier to win the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday. Photo by: Steve Hart
The pace of the Moir Stakes is expected to suit Bel Sprinter, with Buffering sure to set a quick early tempo, but the poor starter could easily become boxed in towards the tail of the field on the tight-turning Moonee Valley circuit and be unable to take advantage of the electric turn of foot that he showed in his dominant Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) victory during the 2013 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.
Trainer Jason Warren revealed yesterday that Bel Sprinter will wear a barrier blanket for the first time on Friday but the Mornington-based trainer told RSN that he does not believe it will help his star galloper.
“We are going to try the barrier blanket on him,” Warren said.
“I don’t think it will stop him missing the start, it is something that he only does when he goes to the races.
“He is not a horse that is nervous in the barriers so I don’t think that a barrier blanket will fix that and he just sort of goes to sleep in there.”
Bel Sprinter may not have had any luck at the barrier draw this morning but the six-year-old will still have plenty of factors in his favor on Friday.
He has recorded two wins from three previous attempts at Moonee Valley and has won all five of his first-up starts.
The other leading chances in the 2013 Moir Stakes field fared a lot better in the barrier draw for the recently upgraded race.
Queensland sprinter Buffering, who has only ever been beaten by equine superstar Black Caviar first-up, will have the opportunity to head straight to the front after drawing barrier six while the connections of Epaulette (barrier four), Moment Of Change (barrier eight), Snitzerland (barrier three) and Samaready (barrier seven) will have no complaints about their respective gates.
Rounding out the impressive Moir Stakes acceptances are General Truce (barrier 10), Conservatorium (barrier five), Le Bonsir (barrier two) and Captain Fancypantz (barrier nine).
