International campaigner Faatinah will be tested at Group 1 level again in the Moir Stakes after scoring a decisive win in the Listed $120,000 SAJ Fruit Supply Carlyon Stakes (1000m) at The Valley last Saturday.
Faatinah, above, will step back up to Group 1 company in the Moir Stakes at The Valley. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Winning jockey Regan Bayliss took full advantage of the on pace bias that The Valley track was displaying and had Faatinah sitting outside of the leader Sunday Escape in the early and middle stages of the 1000m dash.
Bayliss never let the leader out of his sight and Faatinah surged to the front half way down the straight before recording a half a length win at his first run back in Australia after a short campaign in Dubai earlier in the year.
Lindsay Park’s head trainer David Hayes said that Faatinah would now be tested at Group 1 and head back to The Valley for the Group 1 $500,000 Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m) on September 28.
Faatinah had mixed results in a three run campaign in Dubai with a win and a second before being unplaced when eighth to Jungle Cat in the Group 1 US$1m Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) at Meydan in Dubai on March 31.
The Nicconi gelding was a winner at his first run in Dubai in the US$135,000 Abu Dhabi World Class Healthcare Cup (1200m) at Meydan on January 18 before finishing second in the US$175,000 AZIZI Riviera (1200m) at Meydan on February 17.
Hayes, who trains in partnership with his son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig, said that Faatinah has definitely improved since returning from the Middle East.
“I reckon he’s a better horse than he was this time last year and he won the Bobbie Lewis last year,” Hayes told racing.com.
“His trackwork suggested that he’s never gone better.
“He’s only improved since he’s come back (from Dubai).”
Faatinah has been listed as a $13 chance for the Moir Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au who have the Darren Weir trained Nature Strip as the early $4 favourite ahead of the Lindsay Park trained Vega Magic at $6 and Invincible Star at $7.50.
Early betting for the 2018 Moir Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4 Nature Strip, $6 Vega Magic, $7.50 Invincible Star, $9 Redzel, $10 Sunlight, Viddora, $11 In Her Time, Shoals, $12 Brave Smash, $13 Faatinah, $17 Trapeze Artist, $21 Le Romain, Malaguerra, Snitty Kitty, Voodoo Lad, $26 Catchy, Deploy, Hey Doc, Kementari, Sprightly Lass, Thronum, $34 or better the rest.
