Matt Laurie is confident that doubting punters will see the real Treasurethe Moment when she strives to win him his first major in the Oct. 25 Cox Plate (G1) at Moonee Valley Racecourse.
Treasurethe Moment—the Yulong homebred the sales companies didn't want—became a sensation of last season but has been one of the stories of the spring, and only 25-75 for the right reasons.
The 4-year-old Alabama Express filly resumed taking on open class for the first time in Caulfield Racecourse's Memsie Stakes (G1) and produced a simply awesome display to lead home a nine-runner field by 2 1/2 lengths. Ten-time elite-level winner Mr Brightside was second, with Buckaroo a further half-length away in third.
The spring looked her oyster after that ninth straight success and fourth group 1, but the script has gone awry since. She made headlines only a week later when she suffered a bout of colic, which required veterinary hospital treatment, and put her out of the Sept. 13 Makybe Diva Stakes (G1).
The mare returned for her first look at Moonee Valley on the night of Sept. 26 in the Feehan Stakes (G2). The AU$1.50 chance encountered only five rivals, perhaps scaring many away, but with Pride Of Jenni allowed to execute her long-leading ways as she liked, Treasurethe Moment could only make minimal ground on that mare, in a 1 3/4-length second.
Only three rivals fronted up for Caulfield's Might And Power (G1)—which is just 40 meters short of the Cox Plate's distance of 2,040 meters (about 1 1/4 miles)—to take on Laurie's AU$1.60 favorite. But with Blake Shinn allowed to dictate a dawdling pace on Globe, that 7-year-old gelding stole the race, with Treasurethe Moment running a 3-length second.
Those two runs might now have scared off punters, and Treasurethe Moment has slipped down the betting charts for the Cox Plate. She is on the fourth line of betting at AU$8, behind last year's demoralizing winner and Yulong teammate Via Sistina at AU$2, Tony Gollan's Antino at AU$3.50, and Via Sistina's Chris Waller-trained stablemate Aeliana at AU$6.
Still, Laurie wasn't overly disappointed with his mare's latest two runs, and he feels that in a larger, though noncapacity, field with likely some more pace on, and with the effects of that colic bout now seemingly completely overcome, Treasurethe Moment will take a lot of beating.
"I think we're right in it with a chance," Laurie told ANZ News. "She kicked off the prep with a bang, then had a hiccup, and then we've had to make our way back through two very small fields that have been on-pace dominated and with very little pressure applied to the leaders.
"So it's been a bit hard to fully assess, but all I can say is she's come through this last race well. The Cox Plate is the best race in the hemisphere, and I can't find a reason not to go."
Since the Memsie, Mr Brightside has won the Makybe Diva Stakes (G1)—beating Aeliana and Via Sistina into the minors—and run second in the King Charles III Stakes (G1).
Buckaroo has run Sir Delius to a half-length second in the Underwood Stakes (G1), before finishing third in the Might And Power, three-quarters of a length behind Treasurethe Moment.
After the Underwood, Sir Delius cruised to a 1 3/4-length victory in the Turnbull Stakes (G1), beating Antino into second and with Via Sistina a 2 1/4-length third. Sir Delius was then a short favorite for the Cox Plate before being ruled out by Racing Victoria vets.
Laurie ensured Treasurethe Moment would be at her top for the Cox Plate through a testing 1,400-meter track gallop at home at Mornington Oct. 17.
With the track set for its major redevelopment, this will be the last Cox Plate at Moonee Valley as we know it, with its often tricky, tight contours. Laurie said he was satisfied they posed no problems for his mare, whose four group 1 wins have come between 1,400 meters and 2,400 meters.
Australasia's classiest race is likely to have less than its capacity field of 14, with an expected final lineup of around 10 runners.
Via Sistina Looks More Vulnerable in repeat Bid
Although she won last year's Cox Plate in a phenomenal record time—crushing Winx's 2:02.94 with a sizzling 2:01.07—and by an equal-record margin of 8 lengths, Via Sistina is another Yulong mare who's been under a cloud. Her spring pattern rings similar to Treasurethe Moment's.
The reigning Horse of the Year resumed with a top-tier victory in the Winx Stakes (G1) at Randwick Racecourse, but has managed only thirds in her two subsequent runs, in the Makybe Diva and the Turnbull.
Laurie still has ample respect for the Irish-bred import, who's now officially 8 in Australia, but the trainer wouldn't swap his mare for any Cox Plate rival as he strives for his eighth group 1 win and a first major that would boost his operation greatly.
"What Chris (Waller) has achieved with Via Sistina is pretty amazing," Laurie said. "But what Treasure's achieved is pretty good too.
"I'm not worried about lining up against any of them on Saturday."
