Sale Cup winner Mouro will make his debut over 1800 metres in the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on Saturday and trainer Tony McEvoy revealed that he has been looking for a chance to step the consistent entire up in distance for a while.
Mouro has the chance to score his first win at Group level in the Eclipse Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. Photo by: Steve Hart
Mouro started his 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a narrow second place finish behind Out Of Coober in the Dalziel Racing Handicap (1400m) and had no luck in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) before recording an impressive victory over Mutual Trust and Rhythm To Spare in the Sale Cup (1600m).
McEvoy told Racing Ahead that the son of Grand Slam had taken plenty of benefit out of his run in the Sale Cup and was well-placed to record his first victory at Group level in the Eclipse Stakes this weekend.
“He is definitely ready for the 1800m and I have been looking forward to getting him further than a mile,” McEvoy said.
“He is in tip-top shape.
“He will improve a little bit fitness wise from the race.
“He did quite well leading into the Sale Cup and he had a good healthy blow afterwards.
“I think that will peak him for this run.”
Mouro was ridden on the pace in the Sale Cup, as he was when he beat Group 1 winner Beaten Up in the Listed Rowley Mile (1600m) at Hawkesbury, but McEvoy does not believe the four-year-old has to be ridden at the front of the field.
There does not appear to be a great deal of pace in the Eclipse Stakes and McEvoy said that he will leave the riding instructions up to Damien Oliver, who will access the tempo of the race when the barriers fly open on Saturday.
“I think that he is a very flexible horse and we can do whatever we like, which was lovely,” McEvoy said.
“At Scone he sat just back off them and I think I will leave that to Damien.
“He will ride him where the pace is and if there is not much pace in the race he does have the ability to bounce forward and sit in a very prominent position.”
McEvoy confirmed that Mouro will be sent to the spelling paddock after running in the Eclipse Stakes on Saturday and will be set for an autumn campaign; with the veteran trainer still tossing up whether the Melbourne Festival Of Racing or the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival will be the major target for the promising galloper.
“He will have a break and we will set him for the autumn in Melbourne or Sydney, I haven’t quiet made up my mind yet,” McEvoy said.
McEvoy is chasing his first win at Group level since The Voice won the South Australia Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) in Adelaide earlier this year.
