Doughty To Re-evaluate Morning Captain
- Saturday, 29 October 2011 06:00
Trainer Kelly Doughty may be forced to re-evaluate promising sprinter Morning Captain after the heavily backed three-year-old was successful at Doomben.
Doughty was leaning towards spelling Morning Captain after Saturday's race but said he would rethink that plan following the gelding's emphatic win.
"This is still his first preparation and I was thinking of spelling him after this but I'm in two minds now," Doughty said.
"He's a BOBS horse but I'd say he won't be going away to Sydney just now."
Backed from $6 into $4, Morning Captain showed his customary gate speed to settle off the pace before careering away for a 3-3/4 length win over Dorchester in Saturday's Anza Communications Handicap (1350m).
Morning Captain went into the race as a maiden with three placings from four starts and was extending past 1200 metres for the first time.
Jockey Chris Munce believes better wins lay in store.
"He's a tough little bugger but I didn't want to rev him up too fast out of the barriers," Munce said.
"It was a solid win and he'll get better."
Doughty's decision to remove blinkers from Morning Captain at his previous start appears to have worked wonders as he's learned to settle.
"He's a really good horse and he showed us that from day one," Doughty said.
"We thought he'd lead them today and he worked hard early and did it at both ends."
Morning Captain was a cheap $3500 buy for Vince Dickson who owns a Brisbane advertising company and the gelding has already paid his way with $57,000 in prizemoney.
Meanwhile, trainer David Murphy's decision not to head to Melbourne with promising mare Mossriver was vindicated when the four-year-old easily won the Mount Alvernia College Handicap (1200m).
Mossriver never looked in danger of defeat, downing Imeldamay by 1-3/4 lengths with a neck to third placegetter Rhapsodic.
Murphy tossed up whether to send Mossriver south for a fillies and mares race on Oaks day at Flemington, or remain at home with the daughter of Mossman.
"She's a good mare but she's had a lot of problems with her knees," Murphy said.
"I haven't had a saddle on her back all week and she does most of her work swimming."
Mossriver, a $12,000 buy at the Magic Millions sales, will have a short campaign over the summer and Murphy hopes to aim her at next year's Brisbane winter carnival.
"If she's still around I'd like to have a go at the winter but for the time being she'll run in a 1350-metre class six in three weeks, then the Just Now Quality at Eagle Farm in December."
The Listed Just Now Quality (1300m) at Eagle Farm on December 17 is restricted to fillies and mares.
Mossriver's win took her record to four wins and eight placings from 14 starts.
