Quote:
|
Originally Posted by classhandicapper
This is the kind of situation where some good cross country speed figures or a thorough analysis of other cross border shippers might be useful. It's hard to know whether she struggled today because of the ship, she's older and has lost a step, she's been beating nothing in Australia, the surface is more demanding, or a little of bit of each.
|
Or possibly none of those. Moonlight Cloud is a Group 1 winner in France and in top form coming off a facile Group 3 win three weeks ago giving weight to the field. She is rated 10 pounds below Black Caviar in 2012. That translates to three to four lengths at 6f. Maybe Black Caviar wasn't going to win by that far but she was clear near the end never having been touched by the whip when Nolan eased her. In a drive I believe she could have easily won by a couple of lengths. Tom Kerr of the Racing Post wrote "...she was heading for an easy victory after powering a length clear of front-runner Soul." The soft going may have played a role as she had never run on anything other than good or good to soft, but I don't think the travel, losing a step or what she defeated in Australia had anything to do with it. This was nearly a Shoemaker/Gallant Man Kentucky Derby moment but fortunately Nolan woke up at the last instant.
