The Cups’ King, Bart Cummings, may be Australia’s most famous racehorse trainer but after the Saturday’s racing at Eagle Farm there is little doubt Peter Moody is now the best in Australia.
He is universally renowned as the trainer of Black Caviar, and led in three feature winners on Queensland racing’s biggest day. It was a landmark day for the Caulfield-based Moody.
The man from Charleville in Queensland has enjoyed a meteoric rise in horse racing. Only a decade ago, he was in charge of a small team of eight horses.
But in six weeks’ time when the 2011/12 racing season comes to a close, he will claim his third consecutive Victorian Trainer’s Premiership, beating the likes of Hayes and Freedman once again.
Before Black Caviar started her winning run in April 2009, Moody was not very well known. But among those in the racing industry, he was earmarked as an emerging trainer with a bright future.
I remember listening to Moody declare Flying Monty the best stayer he’d ever trained in the minutes leading up to a listed race she was due to contest at Caulfield in February 2009.
Flying Monty finished seventh in that race at odds of 7/1 and she only won one race after that day; retiring with modest stake earnings of just over $70,000.
It’s an indication of just how far Moody has come as a trainer.
The arrival of Black Caviar coincided with Moody’s rise to prominence in the Australian training ranks, but there’s a lot more to Moody’s success than the champion mare.
As he told the media on Saturday afternoon, “We have nearly 200 winners a year and we have done for the last three or four years and Black Caviar wins four or five of those. It’s about a lot of other horses and a lot of other effort and the wonderful support of a lot of owners”.
On Saturday, Moody won the three biggest races in Queensland: the Queensland Derby with Brambles, the Stradbroke Handicap with Mid Summer Music and the Brisbane Cup with Lights Of Heaven.
Brambles, who was so strong in the Derby, is part-owned in the same interests as Flying Monty; by a syndicate called OTI, managed by Terry Henderson and former Australian cricketing all-rounder Simon O’Donnell. As a group, OTI has the aim of winning the Melbourne Cup.
OTI also have shares in Manighar, the former English stayer that has been completely transformed under Moody in 2012. Manighar’s newfound acceleration saw him become the first horse to win the Australian Cup, Ranvet Stakes and BMW in the autumn.
Lights Of Heaven had shown plenty as a younger horse. In the early part of last year’s Spring Carnival she loomed as a key Cox Plate chance before her form waned.
On Saturday, Lights Of Heaven proved she was back to her best with a strong win in the Brisbane Cup (2400 metres).
Moody has never won a Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup or a Melbourne Cup – in fact he’s never run a place in any of those races but that duck could be broken this year. Manighar, Lights Of Heaven and Brambles are more than capable.
Mid Summer Music had her career-defining win in Saturday’s Stradbroke (1400 metres) but early on in her career Moody didn’t think she was going to make it as a racehorse.
It’s not the first time Moody has brought a horse from a low level to achieve success.
At a luncheon for the Doxa Youth Foundation in March last year, Moody spoke about taking a filly with limited ability for a race at Stawell in country Victoria so the owner could get a “photo on the wall” before the horse was moved on.
That filly, Cute Emily (who is still trained by Moody), progressed from that win at Stawell to Group Three success when she took out last year’s Sires Produce at Morphettville. With that blacktype victory under her belt, her future at stud as a broodmare was secured.
Peter Moody has the knack of getting the very best out of his horses. It’s a fantastic trait in a trainer.
In less than two weeks’ time, the world will see what he can do when Black Caviar races at Royal Ascot, but it will be in this year’s Spring Carnival that Moody can well and truly establish himself as one of the greats.
With the foundations well laid, success in the majors awaits.
nan
Guest
Tim, just having an opinion is in no way disrespectful to other trainers and im sure if you asked JB Cummings he would just have a smart quip. Why cant people talk up people doing well, who inspire others?. The only majors Moody has to win are the spring cups and the cox plate as i dont rate a 2yo race for millions as a major.
Justin Cinque
Expert
Fair enough Tim. I know I'm going a little early on this one but in five years time it will be beyond doubt. Moody isn't a Hall Of Fame trainer yet but he will be and even if he didn't train Black Caviar, he'd still be the best. No disrespect to the other trainers - Hayes, Freedman, Hawkes, Snowden, Waterhouse, Waller, Kavanagh, etc etc are proven, fantastic conditioners in their own right but in my opinion Moody is showing himself to be the best and I have Waterhouse at a close number two right now. Moody hasn't done anything in the majors but his time will come. If he doesn't win one this year, he will soon. Remember Moody started with nothing and has worked himself up to be this season's leading trainer after essentially 10-15 years as a stand-alone trainer. Hayes, Waterhouse and Snowden had plenty of help/support in their early years, something Moody wasn't afforded.
Tim
Guest
Though Peter has been having regular good seasons, it is a big statement to label him the No. 1 trainer in Australia. What qualifies for this title, has he won any of the majors, not yet has he won metro titles, yes last 2 in Vic and will win this year has he won the Australian trainers title, not yet but is leading this year has he trained an Australian race horse of year, yes typhoon tracy and black caviar has he won overseas, don't think he has but I stand to be corrected, he will soon though finished top of group 1 trainers list, yes in 2010/11 Peter is up there in the trainers in Australia. However, still has to knock off the likes of Gai and Hawkes. Waller cannot be forgotten, does a great job but has the numbers to support him. Snowden receives well bred horses and its doing a terrific job. The likes of O'Shea, Heathcote, Smerdon, Gollan, Taylor, McEvoy, and Weir are all having great seasons and must be mentioned. Then there are Cummings (both), Kavanagh, Price, Thompson, Hayes, Rogerson + Freedman, Ryan who are always thereabouts. Moody is with no doubt in the top 5-10 trainers in Australia. It is no surprise that he has won more races this year in the country area than the metro area, which indicates that Moody will travel to get a win for a horse. He has had almost double the runners than other trainers in the Vic metro area, so it comes back the Waller situation. When you have a lot of high quality gallopers you will win premierships. I doubt Mid Summer Music will go on and win another big race, unless there is a downpour. Brambles needs to improve at least 200% to be competitive in the spring features. The features are now such strong competitive events at an international class level. If Lights of Heaven sticks to mare races she will be competitive, but if she goes into the open feature races in the spring will run into higher opposition than the likes she was facing up in Queensland. There are Hall of Fame trainers still training currently in Australia and to give such trainers disrespect is disappointing and a disgrace.Sometimes it is the cattle you have at current which makes the trainer. With the Knights running last in the NRL can it be assumed that all teams above him are coached by men superior to Bennett?? I highly doubt it.
nan
Guest
nearyl 3 quinellas today must now be rated no 1 in Aust and will eventually be a hall of famer
peeeko
Roar Guru
Yes a very good trainer and consistent for a number of years now, he has really taken over from freedman and Hayes. Great performance on the weekend but I would dispute the bris cup as one of the top 3 races in Qld. Surely the ten thousand and doomben cup are bigger races
Bondy
Guest
He could have a few horses at the top of the market for the Caulfield Cup.