Gary Moore-trained imported stayers Four Carat and Gentil Tonton are set to contest a barrier trial over 1200 metres at Warwick Farm on Friday as they build towards their Australian racing debuts.
Hugh Bowman rode Four Carat in a barrier trial at Rosehill Gardens last Tuesday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Four Carat made his racing debut in France earlier this year with a seventh place finish at Fontainebleau and finished fifth at Compiegne in March before he recorded his maiden race win in the Prix Claude Gauthier (2600m) at Chateaubriant.
The Montjeu entire was stepped up to 2800 metres and finished a more than credible second in the Prix De La Gare De Lyon (2800m) at Longchamp on June 9 before he joined the Moore stable.
Four Carat showed a decent amount of speed when he finished fourth in a barrier trial over 1030 metres at Rosehill Gardens on November 25 and Moore told Sky Racing HQ that he is hoping the four-year-old will develop into a Melbourne Cup contender in 2015.
“He is a German horse and he did run second at Longchamp over 2500 metres plus and he is a good looking horse,” Moore said.
“He did win at the provincials in France and this will be his second trial.
“Hopefully he will be good enough to run in the Cup races next year.”
Gentil Tonton made his racing debut in Ireland in August of 2013 and stamped himself as a stayer with promise when he took out the West Gate Median Auction Maiden at Clonmel on May 8 and the Saadiyat Handicap on May 24 before he was purchased by the Moore stable.
Gentil Tonton made his first public appearance in Australia when he finished at the tail of the field in a barrier trial over 900 metres at Rosehill Gardens on November 13, but Moore believes that the Yeats entire is a progressive galloper that is capable of working through the grades in Australia off his low handicap rating.
“We purchased him in June and he won his last two in Ireland,” Moore said.
“He is very well-placed off a benchmark 69.”
Moore is still chasing his maiden race win in Sydney since opening his stable at Rosehill Gardens, but he had plenty of success at provincial meetings last week; winning the Access Scaffolding Handicap at Hawkesbury with Hirad as well as the Master Builders Maiden Handicap (1400m) with Classic Vinegar and the Winning Commercial Maiden Plate (1100m) with Ice Bucket at the Gold Coast.
