Peter Moody will be double-handed trying to win the Group Two Autumn Classic for the second time in three runnings with Excelltastic and Definitive at Caulfield on Saturday.The Caulfield trainer, who won his ninth Group One race with Reward For Effort in last Saturday's Blue Diamond Stakes, won the 2007 Autumn Classic with Ambitious General who was subsequently runner-up in both the Rosehill Guineas and AJC Australian Derby before being sold to Hong Kong.Moody is confident both of his three-year
Peter Moody will be double-handed trying to win the Group Two Autumn Classic for the second time in three runnings with Excelltastic and Definitive at Caulfield on Saturday.
The Caulfield trainer, who won his ninth Group One race with Reward For Effort in last Saturday's Blue Diamond Stakes, won the 2007 Autumn Classic with Ambitious General who was subsequently runner-up in both the Rosehill Guineas and AJC Australian Derby before being sold to Hong Kong.
Moody is confident both of his three-year-olds will perform well in the 1800m feature and feels the Mick Price-trained Pre Eminence is the horse they have to beat.
Redoute's Choice colt Definitive, a $1.3 million yearling purchase, ran on well to finish third to Pre Eminence in the Group Two Alister Clark Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on February 14 after breaking through for his first win in a Ballarat maiden over 1600m 10 days earlier.
Exceed And Excel colt Excelltastic, who ran fourth when second-up in the Alister Clark, had good form last spring winning from Pre Eminence over 1700m at Caulfield followed by a third to Sousa and Predatory Pricer in the Group One Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick.
"They are both in good shape. Mick's horse looked impressive there and has a victory over both of them so he's obviously the benchmark for us," Moody said.
"Excelltastic doesn't know how to run bad. His last four runs have all been in Group company and he's been in the first four in all but one start.
"You wouldn't get a more competitive horse, he earns a cheque every time he goes to the races.
"(He races) on the pace, makes his own luck, is extremely tough and just keeps grinding away.
"Definitive has probably got more natural ability but he's like a big overgrown foal. He's all legs.
"Last time at the Valley he came around the turn and he looked like he was going to trip himself five or six times and only balanced up the last 50 yards."
Moody is looking at either the AJC Australian Derby or the South Australian Derby for Definitive.
"He looks like a horse who is going to get out to a mile-and-a-half (2400m) and I'm looking forward to it," he said.
"I just hope he's mature enough to cope with it at this stage because he is a big backward type of horse and when they are presented in the yard if they look more immature than him they are in a bit of bother.
Pre Eminence is $2.90 favourite in TAB Sportsbet's fixed odds market with Definitive at $4.20, Excelltastic at $4.50, Stokehouse at $6.50 with Gigino next best at $9.