Trainer Peter Moody racked up yet another CF Orr Stakes win on Saturday with Moment Of Change claiming the first Group 1 of 2014.
It was Moody’s fourth Orr win in the past five years having claimed the race two years ago with superstar Black Caviar, which followed Typhoon Tracy’s double in 2010 and 2011.
The Hawkes stable is the only other to have won the race in the last five years. John, Wayne and Michael Hawkes trained Black Caviar’s younger brother All Too Hard to victory last year.
Moment Of Change’s win certainly wasn’t as memorable as his stablemate’s two years back, but it boasted plenty of merit despite the small six-horse field.
Jockey Luke Nolen, who himself collected a fourth CF Orr Stakes win, shot straight to the front on the well supported favourite and narrowly held off fast-finishing three-year-old Eurozone in the closing stages.
Second favourite Shamus Award, resuming after his brilliant Cox Plate win over the spring, finished 1.6L back in third.
Timeform rated Moment Of Change’s win at 122, a pound clear of Eurozone and five pounds clear of Shamus Award who ran to 117.
It was Moment Of Change’s equal third-best career performance.
His peak was a 125 when beaten a nose by Shamexpress in last year’s Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m).
That followed his 2.5L second placing to Black Caviar in last year’s Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) which earned a Timeform figure of 123.
Saturday’s win was a 10-pound improvement on Moment Of Change’s disappointing second placing in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley last month.
He’ll next line up in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) on Blue Diamond day, the race All Too Hard went on to win last year.
For Eurozone the run was a new peak, besting his Stan Fox Stakes win in the spring by seven pounds.
Shamus Award meanwhile was seven pounds shy of his performance in the Cox Plate over the spring, although it was easily his best first-up run to date.
Expect him to improve next start as he gets out over further.
Shamus Award remains second favourite at $8 to win the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) early next month.
Bull Point, winner of last weekend’s Manfred Stakes, is $6 favourite while Eurozone is rated a $10 chance.
Now, back to Moment Of Change’s win in the Orr.
If anything, he’s probably run to a slightly above-average figure to win the race.
The five-year average sits at 127 but that’s been inflated by Black Caviar’s blistering performance in 2012.
Over the past 10 years, barring the 2012 renewal, the average winning run in the Orr is a shade below 120.
All Too Hard ran to 121+ in winning the race last year.
Two years prior Typhoon Tracy produced a figure of 119, three pounds below her winning effort in 2010.
But it’s Black Caviar’s performance in 2012 that may never be beaten.
The 134+ put on her that day was an equal-fourth best career performance.
Three times she ran to that mark – outside of the 2012 Orr she produced the figure in her two TJ Smith Stakes wins at Randwick, in 2011 and in 2013.
Her brilliant Newmarket Handicap win in 2011 and her Schweppes Stakes win at Moonee Valley later that year were rated at 135 while her career-best performance came in the 2012 Lightning Stakes (1000m) earning a figure of 136.
The Orr highlighted an excellent day’s racing at Caulfield over the weekend.
The two-year-old winners Rubick and Earthquake attracted plenty of interest in winning their respective Blue Diamond Preludes, and on top of that there were two Group 2 races on the program.
Victoria Derby third placegetter Thunder Fantasy claimed the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) impressively, finishing almost two lengths clear of Rock Hero.
The victory earned a Timeform figure of 115p and was the best winning performance in the race since Denman produced a powerful 124 in 2010.
Thunder Fantasy’s win equalled the 115 he produced in the Derby over the spring, and he’ll likely also progress to the Australian Guineas next month.
Even more impressive was Lankan Rupee’s resuming win in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m).
He finished 3.8L clear of Iconic running to an equal career-best figure of 121.
It matched his impressive win in the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1200m) prior to a spell.
Lankan Rupee’s win was an eight-pound improvement on Adebisi’s triumph in last year’s Rubiton, but two pounds shy of Eagle Falls’ effort to win the race in 2012.
Lankan Rupee will most likely run in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on Blue Diamond day.
