Moozoon Hits Gold in Fillies Series

An upset win in the Group 3 $70,000 Tiger Prawn Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) has earned Moozoon (NZ) (Perfectly Ready) her first points in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series.

Moozoon (NZ) wins the Group 3 Tiger Prawn Desert Gold Stakes. Photo courtesy of Trish Dunell.

It was also the first stakes success from the filly’s first attempt adding valuable black-type to her pedigree page for international owner Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.

The daughter of Perfectly Ready was a last start winner only seven days prior at Counties where she sat handy and kicked away for a dominant win by 2.6 lengths for trainer Stephen McKee and rider Mark Sweeney.

It was again Sweeney aboard Moozoon yesterday and he was able to position her in the perfect spot, one off the rail just behind the two pacemakers. The pair travelled into the race well at the home turn and burst to the front. A strong challenge came from Miss Selby (NZ) (O’Reilly) but she could only manage second a neck from the winner, and race-favourite Costa Viva (Encosta de Lago) ran on well after getting well-back to finish third, four lengths from the winner.

“It was a good tough win, she has really good turn of foot,” commented McKee. “I said to Mark Sweeney to hold her up for as long as you can because once she is in the clear in the lead she tends to run around a bit.

“I think she had quite a bit left, it looked like Miss Selby was going to go straight past her and she kicked again nicely. They were a long way ahead of the rest which is always a good sign.

“She did well because I was a bit worried about backing up after she had a six-week break before she won at Counties last week.

“She is out of a Montjeu mare so she could get a bit further without being 100% sure. We will give her a try, she is still in the Oaks so we will see how she goes over 2000m next week.

“The Sir Tristram Fillies Classic will probably be a bit soon in two weeks’ time and we are little bit far off the speed now in the Filly of the Year Series, she would need to win everything to have a chance, so we will just concentrate on some more black-type with her now.”

Yesterday’s Group 3 success was the third win from seven raceday appearances for Moozoon who has now earned her international owner $54,725 in prizemoney.

The filly is out of an unraced Montjeu mare Mizzna and by Perfectly Ready who stands at Brighthill Farm who look after Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum thoroughbred interests in New Zealand. Perfectly Ready has two horses in this week’s Karaka Select Sale and seven horses in the Karaka Festival Sale.

Costa Viva has increased her lead in the Filly of the Year Series after gaining another 1.5 points for running third to take her total to 20.5 points with three races left in the Series. Moozoon collected 6 points for her victory placing her sixth equal in the Series. Miss Selby picked up 3 points as the runner-up in Saturday’s Group 3 to go with the 3 points she earned in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes to also have a tally of 6 points.

For more information on the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year visit www.nzb.co.nz.