Trainer Colin Davies believes he has another smart horse on his hands in three-year-old filly Total Liberty who will run in Saturday's Elvis "Ricky" Thurgood 50th Birthday Plate at Moonee Valley.Davies, who prepares a small team of half a dozen horses at Cranbourne, experienced racing at the elite level with talented sprinter Stanzout who was three-times Group One-placed last season and gave the trainer his biggest win in the Group Two 2007 Gilgai Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.However the grey ha

Trainer Colin Davies believes he has another smart horse on his hands in three-year-old filly Total Liberty who will run in Saturday's Elvis "Ricky" Thurgood 50th Birthday Plate at Moonee Valley.

Davies, who prepares a small team of half a dozen horses at Cranbourne, experienced racing at the elite level with talented sprinter Stanzout who was three-times Group One-placed last season and gave the trainer his biggest win in the Group Two 2007 Gilgai Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.

However the grey hasn't raced since finishing sixth to the ill-fated Sunburnt Land in the Straight Six at Flemington in May when he suffered a career-threatening injury.

"It was a nasty injury. His back legs slipped jumping out of the barriers and he pulled muscle off the pelvic bone," Davies said.

"He's still in the paddock recovering. An injury like that takes a while to heal and I hope it does heal.

"The horse is happy in himself and he looks alright, but it takes time. I would love to get him back."

Total Liberty is raced in similar interests, by Richard and Kay Waldron, Ross and Julie O'Brien and Graham and Maureen Griffiths who race Stanzout with Davies' wife.

"They bought her dam Ton Of Class after seeing her at Bluegum Farm while on a bus tour and this filly is her first foal," Davies said.

"They liked the mare because she was by Centaine."

Davies also trains Total Liberty's two-year-old full-brother Radon who is raced by the same owners and ran last in the Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) at his debut at Sandown on November 14.

By Storm Cat stallion Statue Of Liberty, Total Liberty made a winning debut in a Yarra Glen three-year-old maiden (1000m) on Cox Plate day and was runner-up by a half-length at $21 to the unbeaten True Tales in a 0-72 three-year-old (1200m) at the Moonee Valley night meeting on November 14.

"She's a lovely filly. She's still maturing and I think she'll be better in the autumn," Davies said.

"I was hoping to run her in the Red Roses at Flemington on Oaks day but she didn't get a start.

"I couldn't run her earlier as she was a bit shinny."

Mark Pegus will ride Total Liberty who drew barrier six in the eight-horse field.

The Tony Vasil-trained True Tales, drawn in gate seven, is topweight in the race and the Tale Of The Cat gelding will be trying to make it four wins from as many starts with Danny Brereton again in the saddle.

Meanwhile, big-race jockey Glen Boss, who announced earlier this week that he was moving from Sydney to base himself and his family in Melbourne fulltime, has picked up seven rides on the eight-race program.

"I'm quite excited about it. It's not something I've taken lightly, it's a pretty big decision but I've spoken to a lot of the leading trainers in Melbourne and I've got their support," he said.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge."

Among Boss' rides are one for David Hayes, two for Peter Moody and two for Danny O'Brien.