Wild weather at Sandown almost denied Conscience a winning debut for trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman.
A fierce thunderstorm caused a 90-minute delay due to lightning, dumping 12mm of rain before Wednesday’s IVE> Handicap (1000m). The young runners were forced to wait in the tie-up stalls before officials gave the all-clear to race.
Despite the track downgrade, Moody was relieved to see his $1.4 million yearling purchase—who is a half-sister to Espionage—hold on for a narrow victory.
“It’s always satisfying when these expensive, well-bred fillies get the job done,” Moody said.
“Big-money horses don’t always deliver, but we bought her thinking she’d be an early two-year-old type.
“She’s got the physique, but she’s taken a bit more time to mature, and we may even give her another break.
“I think she’ll be a perfect fit for those early-season three-year-old filly races.”
Moody admitted that Conscience was positioned further back than expected but was pleased with how she finished.
“She got back a little too far, but she showed a turn of foot that suggests she has a Stakes-level future.”
Originally, Moody had planned to debut Conscience in last Saturday’s Group 3 Ottawa Stakes (1000m) at Flemington but made a late call to hold her back.
“I thought she needed one more gallop, so she worked on Saturday instead,” Moody said.
“That race was essentially a high-class maiden. I had three in it—I sent one to Adelaide, ran another, and saved her for this.
“That extra gallop nearly cost her today. She looked set to win by three (lengths) but ran out of gas late.
“Now that she’s a city winner, she’s starting to earn back her price tag. If she can win a Stakes race, she’ll be worth a few million at any major broodmare sale.”
Moody and Coleman later completed a training double when Codigo claimed victory in the Sportsbet Fast Form Handicap.
Codigo is raced by Mark Chittick of Waikato Stud, the same owner who partnered with Moody to campaign I Wish I Win. The star galloper was officially retired on Wednesday after pulling up ‘jarry’ following a track gallop.
However, the Sandown meeting was cut short at 6:27 pm, with three races remaining. Several jockeys reported horses slipping at the 700m mark during the Sportsbet Get On Extra Handicap (1800m), won by She’s A Hustler, leading officials to abandon the remainder of the card.
