Odyssey Moon will step-up to 1600 metres for the first time in the 2015 Champagne Stakes at Royal Randwick on Saturday and trainer Rob Northam is confident that the extra distance will not be an issue for the promising colt.
Odyssey Moon has the chance to record a maiden win at Group 1 level in the 2015 Sires Produce Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart
Odyssey Moon produced the best performance of his racing career to date when he finished a close second behind the talented Pride Of Dubai in the Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 6 and Northam told Racing Ahead that the Snitzel colt gives him every indication that he will not have any problems running out a strong mile.
“He has come through it great, he is a tough horse,” Northam said.
“He will enjoy the step-up to the mile.
“His full sister was a winner at a mile and she didn’t win a race until she got to a mile.
“He is more your staying type of Snitzel and he is not the jump and run sort of Snitzel, he is more in the mould of the ones that get over a bit of ground.”
Odyssey Moon made his racing debut with an impressive win in the Inglis Nursery (1000m) at Royal Randwick on December 13 and he finished a credible fourth in the Inglis Classic (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on February 7 before he stepped up to Group level in the Group 2 Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Warwick Farm on February 28 and the Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 14.
The two-year-old finished just over two lengths behind the highly-rated Vancouver in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21 and finished second in what was his sixth race start this campaign.
Northam admits that Odyssey Moon has been up for a long time, but he believes that the fact the colt does not overtax himself in trackwork means that he is still at his peak heading into the Champagne Stakes.
“He is not a great track worker and I think that has been half the key to keeping him up for so long,” Northam said.
“He doesn’t overexert himself on the track and he saves his best for raceday, but his work was nice this morning, I am really happy with it and I think he will be spot-on for Saturday.”
The 2015 Champagne Stakes nominations were released yesterday and Odyssey Moon is set to take on the likes of The Barrister, Takedown, Pasadena Girl, Tarquin, Mine Two, Street Rapper, Rhode Assassin and Reckless Russell.
