The outside barrier in the Group 1 $500,000 Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night has thrown jockey Craig’s Newitt’s planned tactics on Extreme Choice into disarray.
Extreme Choice, above, will have a change of tactics in the Moir Stakes. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Newitt was hoping for a midfield draw to allow Extreme Choice to use his good gate speed but after he came up with outside barrier, Newitt will now ease in behind the leading division in the early stages after connections notified Racing Victoria stewards that the colt will be ridden back in the nine horse field.
Racing Victoria stewards tweeted the following message:
“Tactics: 30-09-2016 Moonee Valley R7 – No.9 Extreme Choice – ride back from wide barrier.”
“It’s a tricky race, because there’s nine in it and seven speed horses, and when you draw the outside of them, it makes it awkward,” Newitt told Racing.com.
“At first glance, it’s not ideal, but if we get the rain and the fence is a no-go zone, it might not be too bad.”
The three year old colt is taking on the older horses and under the weight for age scale will only have to carry 52kg with the three mares in the race, Wild Rain, Heatherly and Chloe In Paris the closest to him in the weights with 56.5kg.
The rest of the field which includes speedsters Buffering, Ball Of Muscle and Redzel as well as the backmarkers Chautauqua and Lucky Hussler are all on 58.5kg.
Newitt is hoping the huge weight advantage will come into play at some stage of the race and is hoping to have the last crack at the leaders.
“I don’t think he’s one that you’d be able to do that (go forward with light weight), because you’ve still got the spring to go, especially first-up,” Newitt said.
“We were just hoping to draw a nice gate and sit on the back of Buffering, and have the last crack at him with no weight, because we know what sort of turn of foot he [Extreme Choice] has got.
“From out there, at first glance, it makes it a little bit sticky.”
The Mick Price trained Extreme Choice is having his first run back since finishing eighth as favourite behind Capitalist in the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 19.
The Not A Single Doubt colt was undefeated at his previous three starts with wins in the $500,000 Inglis Nursery (1000m) at Randwick on December 12, the Group 3 $150,000 Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on February 6 and the Group 1 $1.5m Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 27.
The world’s number one rated sprinter Chautauqua dominates the betting for the Moir Stakes and is the $2.20 favourite with Ladbrokes.com.au with Extreme Choice the second pick at $4.60 ahead of Buffering at $6.50.
Market order for the Moir Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.20 Chautauqua, $4.60 Extreme Choice, $6.50 Buffering, $7.50 Lucky Hussler, $13 Heatherly, $19 Redzel, $20 Ball Of Muscle, $21 Wild Rain, $26 Chloe In Paris.
