Trainer Chris Waller is confident that Moriarty can return to winning form in the 2014 Eagle Farm Cup this weekend and rates the imported stayer the best bet of the day.
Moriarty is chasing his first race win since he took out the Hill Stakes during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival. Photo by: Steve Hart
Moriarty has performed well since heading to Queensland for a 2014 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival campaign and was beaten by less than two lengths by four-time Group 1 winner Streama in the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast on May 3, while the pattern of the track did not suit in the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) on May 17.
The Clodovil gelding has not scored a race win since he took out the Group 2 Hill Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on September 21 during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival, but Waller is extremely confident that the six-year-old can take out the Eagle Farm Cup on Saturday.
“He is going to get on a good track for the first time in a long time,” Waller said.
“Even the other day in the Doomben Cup I reckon it was slow and he doesn’t like slow.
“He will like the 2200, he has drawn barrier one, it is a small field and Nash Rawiller is back on.
“I reckon it is the bet of the day punters.”
The Waller stable were expecting big things out of Moriarty during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival and the tough gelding performed well at the highest level of racing, but was unable to breakthrough for a win.
Moriarty was most impressive over inappropriate distances in both the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on February 8 and the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at the same venue on February 22 before being set a tough task by Hugh Bowman when fourth in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm on March 8.
The imported galloper made up good ground late when fifth in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22 and failed to perform at his best on a heavy track in the Group 3 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on April 5.
Moriarty finished an unlucky fourth behind Quintessential in the Eagle Farm Cup last year before taking out the Group 2 Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm a week later.
