2023 George Moore Stakes Day Preview

The Queensland Summer Racing Carnival rolls on this Saturday as we head to Doomben for George Moore Stakes Day.   

Highlights on the ten-race card include the Group 3 Ladbrokes George Moore Stakes and the Listed Mode Stakes.  

The country also comes to the city for the Country Cups and the Country Stampede Finals. 

Unfortunately, wet weather most of the week in Brisbane will see racing take place on a rain-affected surface.

Our full George Moore Stakes Day preview can be found below. 

Valorous Performer (6) is trying to emulate her stablemate Astapor’s effort to win here last Saturday. 

Rockhampton trainer Clinton Taylor astutely brought the right horse south, and he again looks to have a good winning chance with this daughter of Heroic Valour. 

The filly was beaten a nose by Astapor in a trial before running an equivalent time to that horse over 1050m at Rockhampton on debut.

Justin Stanley can go forward and if she handles the wet track then she should be fighting out of the finish.

1 Unit – Valorous Performer (6) 

Winsome Star (6) gives the indication that he will appreciate the rise to 2000m in this year’s edition of The Eagle Way. 

The Symons and Laxon-trained Star Turn colt gave away too much a start and then encountered traffic problems several times but still found the line well when finishing 1.1 lengths sixth over 1600m at the Sunshine Coast last start. 

Most of the horses in this race come out of that race so it provides a good guide. 

A heavy track shouldn’t faze him given his only win came on a wet track.  

1 Unit – Winsome Star (6)  

This year’s Country Stampede Final is typically a tough affair!

I’m going with Miss Hoff (11) who is shooting for her fourth win in a row.

The daughter of Flying Artie has taken to life in Western Queensland well.

The five-year-old mare recovered well after missing the jump in her last start at the Charleville qualifying race, storming home to win by two lengths.

Like most horses in this race, she has limited form on a wet track, but she did run super when finishing second by half a length on a heavy Canberra track when with Matthew Smith. 

The speed will be on which will help her cause. 

1 Unit Each Way – Miss Hoff (11) 

Deep Respect (4) resumes here for his second preparation after impressing in his first time in work. 

The Kelly Schweida-trained three-year-old colt won impressively on debut over this course and distance before a close second at Eagle Farm second-up. 

He demonstrated his quality when putting them away easily over 1350m here in his most recent race. 

The son of Deep Field has warmed for this first-up assignment by having two trials with the most recent, just this week, proving to be an impressive piece of work over 1050m at Deagon. 

Jimmy Orman retains the ride and should be able to settle in a prominent position. 

1 Unit – Deep Respect (4) 

Art By Concorde (2) enters the Country Cups Challenge Final in terrific form having won all three starts this preparation. 

The Craig Smith-trained gelding earned his position in the final by storming home down the outside to win the Yeppoon qualifying race last start over 1400m. 

While he won the Battle Of The Bush Final over 1200m in June, he can run out a strong mile proven by his win over the distance at Rockhampton this time last year. 

They’ll run along which will suit with Kyle Wilson-Taylor settling midfield before launching in the straight. 

1 Unit Each Way – Art By Concorde (2)     

Acquitted (2) grows a leg when the track is wet, boasting a heavy track record of three wins from four starts. 

The Kris Lees-trained gelding returned in great order last start when running on powerfully to finish 1.3 lengths second to Ka Bling over 1300m at Newcastle. 

He’ll be better for the run and easily won a Provincial-Midway Championship qualifier on a heavy Wyong track when second-up last preparation. 

A strong speed will help him but he’ll need a Jimmy Orman special to navigate from the inside barrier.  

1 Unit – Acquitted (3) 

Abounding (3) could not have been more impressive when winning over this course and distance first-up. 

The Rob Heathcote-trained Rich Enuff filly overcame the outside gate in the field of 10 to put her rivals to the sword in the straight to win by 1.5 lengths. 

That was a month ago and she’s since had a tick over trial to keep her up to the mark. 

While she has never faced a heavy track, she did go within a head of winning the Listed Bill Carter Stakes last preparation on a Soft 6 surface. 

She maps to get a great run for Martin Harley from barrier 3. 

1 Unit – Abounding (3) 

Queensland’s leading trainer Tony Gollan has almost had a mortgage on the Group 3 Ladbrokes George Moore Stakes in recent times, winning five of the past eight editions of the summer feature. 

Gollan once again has a strong hand with five entrants but I’m going with one of his opponents’ horses in The Big Goodbye (6). 

The Rob Heathcote-trained six-year-old gelding was an eye-catcher when resuming in the Swiss Ace Plate last start at the Sunshine Coast. 

Over the unsuitable 1000m trip, he was held up for most of the straight but ran through the line powerfully once clear to finish fifth to Nettuno. 

He’ll appreciate rising to his pet distance and he’s won 50% of his races over this course and trip. 

The rain-affected track will pose no fears given he is undefeated on heavy and has been in the top two in six of nine starts on soft going. 

With the light weight, he’ll be storming home. 

1 Unit Each Way – The Big Goodbye (6)  

Knight’s Choice (3) ran well in his first race back in Queensland last time out after three races during the Sydney Spring Carnival. 

The Symons and Laxon-trained son of Extreme Choice worked home strongly over 1600m at the Sunshine Coast, registering the quickest final 200m of the race, to finish fourth by just under a length to Dune Forty Five. 

Given he didn’t have the clearest path and he pulled up with a cough, there was plenty of merit in the run. 

He rises to 2000m for the first time but looks more than capable of running it out strongly. 

1 Unit – Knight’s Choice (3) 

The Face (13) has proven to be a nice addition to the David Vandyke stable after previously racing in Sydney. 

The distinctively marked son of Rubick can be forgiven for failing first-up when he raced wide and was found to have a cough and poor post-race recovery. 

He bounced back second-up when leading all the way over 1200m at this track and followed it up with a strong 2.3 length win over 1200m at the Sunshine Coast last start. 

He remains in the same class and rises 3.5kg but gets the services of top jockey Ben Thompson who should be able to push forward and lead from the wide gate.  

1 Unit – The Face (13)