Victorian sprinter Moss ‘N‘ Dale is making a solid bid for favouritism for the 2018 Listed $175,000 City Of Ipswich Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich on Saturday.
Moss ‘N’ Dale, above, is vying for favouritism in the Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
On race eve the Peter Gelagotis trained Moss ‘N’ Dale is marked at $4.60 for the Eye Liner Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au just behind the $4.50 favourite Tyzone from the Toby Edmonds stable.
Moss ‘N’ Dale arrived in Queensland after scoring a nice win over 1400m at Flemington on May 19 but was relegated to third emergency for the Group 1 $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) at Doomben last Saturday and failed to get a run.
Gelagotis’ next thought was to chase some easier targets in the Eye Liner Stakes and another good effort will see his Winter Carnival campaign extend to run in the Listed $175,000 Oaks Hotels & Resorts Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast on June 30.
“He’s there to compete, this race fits in well being only a week later, so why not?” Gelagotis told The Courier-Mail
“Then there’s the Glasshouse at Caloundra in a couple of weeks.”
Moss ‘N’ Dale, with Anthony Darmanin in the saddle, has drawn barrier four in the Eye Liner Stakes field that has been reduced to twelve runners following the early scratchings of Tougherthantherest and Oink.
“From a great draw, he’s just going to get a gun run,” Gelagotis said.
“There looks like there will be a couple that will roll along nicely and he should be able to stalk that speed beautifully.”
Gelagotis said that Moss ‘N’ Dale rarely runs a bad race and even though he is not a gross horse, the Moe trainer likes the way he tries his best every start.
“He’s been a ripper. He’s a three-state Saturday winner, which not many horses boast that on their CV,” Gelagotis said.
“He’s a little pocket rocket. Very neat on his feet. He’s not a big gangly gross thing, he’s a little fighter.”
Tyzone (barrier 3) is on a hat trick after working his way up through the grades with a win in a 1200m BenchMark 85 Handicap at the Gold Coast followed by a win in a 1200m BenchMark 95 Handicap at Doomben and will be ridden again by Jeff Lloyd.
On the third line of betting at $6 is the Tony Gollan trained Most Important just ahead of his stablemate I’m A Rippa and the Darren Weir trained Lucky Hussler at $7.
