The second of the six Group races running at Moonee Valley’s Cox Plate Day in Melbourne this afternoon has been run and won by the Peter Moody-trained Thermal Current who took at the three-year-olds’ Red Anchor Stakes 2013.

2013 Red Anchor Stakes winner Thermal Current may have run their last race this prep. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.

Officially registered this year as the $150,000 Group 3 Telstra Phonewords Stakes (1200m), the set weights plus penalties feature could make a nice lead-up race for the season’s sprinting three-year-olds heading towards a run in the $500,000 Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington Saturday week on Derby Day.

However Moody indicated today’s event could end up being the last this prep for the winning Exceed And Excel colt Thermal Current who has been up since July.

“There’s a few options during (Melbourne) Cup week,” Moody said after the win.

“However I’m mindful he’s had a pretty long prep.

“Experience traditionally tells me their first run off a freshen up is of their best, so this could even be the last of this prep.”

The Tesltra Phonewords Stakes was only Thermal Current’s second career win from seven starts, the other being over 1100m at Geelong back in August.

It also indicated a bright autumn carnival next year, the horse showing improvement on their seventh last start to Coolmore Stud Stakes favourite Zoustar in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m).

One of the best out of the gates Thermal Current had the inside draw and was ridden positively right from the start setting into third behind Ruud Awakening and Va Pensiero.

Thermal Current then settled into third while the short-priced race favourite Not Listenin’tome found themself back third last.

Trying to work into the race after coming round the fence, Not Listenin’tome was still a way back hitting traffic while Thermal Current also couldn’t get a clear run.

However Thermal Current was travelling sweetly and going very well, allowing jockey Ben Melham to make the decision to take them up through a narrow gap.

“He was actually travelling too well coming to the corner,” Melham explained.

“He travelled solid the whole way….he showed a good turn of foot (to win).”

Up they went in between Not Listenin’tome ($2.30) and $41 outsider Selectify who went up with the punters’ pick over the final few hundred meters.

Diving late in the middle Thermal Current took home the winners’ cheque finishing just a long neck ahead of the John Hawkes-trained Not Listenin’tome, previously undefeated with wins at Ballarat and Bendigo, who would have lost few admirers.

“He needed a bit of luck and had no joy in the Group 1 the other day (when seventh in the Rose) so we thought he had the best form going into the race,” Moody said of the winner.

“He was the best horse on the day. Luck went our way finally.

“He’s always been a high quality colt but he’s just raced without luck throughout his career.

“Hopefully the luck can now continue with him.”

Don’t forget there’s still time to tip this year’s Cox Plate winner and lock them in at double their fixed win price online at Ladbrokes.com.au!

2013 Telstra Phonewords Stakes Results & Finishing Order

Moonee Valley Race 6 – 26/10/2013