Peter Moody has already made his presence felt in Sydney this autumn but his carnival could be about to get even better.The top Melbourne trainer, who claimed the Group One Queen Of The Turf Stakes with Horse Of The Year contender Typhoon Tracy during the Golden Slipper festival, was also in fine form at Randwick on Saturday winning the Group Three Adrian Knox Stakes with Speedy Natalie.Moody is enjoying his best ever season and along with leading the Melbourne trainers' premiership, he has also
Peter Moody has already made his presence felt in Sydney this autumn but his carnival could be about to get even better.
The top Melbourne trainer, who claimed the Group One Queen Of The Turf Stakes with Horse Of The Year contender Typhoon Tracy during the Golden Slipper festival, was also in fine form at Randwick on Saturday winning the Group Three Adrian Knox Stakes with Speedy Natalie.
Moody is enjoying his best ever season and along with leading the Melbourne trainers' premiership, he has also put the polish on six Group One winners this season, equal with Bart Cummings.
He will have strong chances in two of the major races at Randwick next Saturday when he starts Typhoon Tracy in the Doncaster Mile (1600m) and Speedy Natalie and Ocean Dream in the AJC Australian Oaks (2400m).
Typhoon Tracy is the $3 favourite for the Doncaster following Moody's confirmation she will take her place in the famous Randwick Mile despite his initial wariness about running her with 56.5kg.
Speedy Natalie is the more fancied of his two Oaks runners, assuming third favouritism with her Adrian Knox victory with the market headed by Victorian Oaks heroine and brilliant last-start Storm Queen Stakes winner Faint Perfume from the Cummings stable.
Moody concedes Faint Perfume and Valdemoro, who was runner-up in both the Victorian Oaks and Storm Queen, shape as the hardest to beat but takes heart from the fact Speedy Natalie is coming off different form lines.
"It's hard to make assessments (between different races)," Moody said.
"She beat what are traditionally regarded as the B-grade field (in the Adrian Knox) but she beat them effortlessly and we've seen these sorts of horses come out and win the Oaks."
Moody took Speedy Natalie to Adelaide for the Schweppes Oaks two starts ago and she was sent out favourite but bucked shortly after the start and took no part in the race.
Despite the setback, Moody never lost faith in his filly and she repaid him with her three length victory in the Adrian Knox (2000m).
"She's had an interrupted preparation. We went to Adelaide and I don't know what happened there, we expected this (win) in Adelaide and we've had to wait another six weeks for it," Moody said shortly after her Randwick triumph.
"She'll go to the Oaks, she won't be able to run in it next year."
The last filly to win the Adrian Knox-AJC Oaks double was Rena's Lady three years ago.