Kiwi-bred filly Movin Out made a successful switch from Sydney racing to a tilt at Victorian riches when she came from well back to race to a dominant victory in the $150,000 Mornington Guineas (1600m) on Saturday.
The three-year-old daughter of Novara Park- stallion Staphanos originally began her career out of the Bill Thurlow stable at Waverley where she broke maiden status at her second start before finishing a meritorious third in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) behind Captured By Love and Alabama Lass at her third and final New Zealand run.
Subsequently purchased by thoroughbred powerhouse Yulong, the filly joined Chris Waller's operation in Sydney where she ran an eye-catching fourth first up in the Gr.2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) before dropping out to finish last in the Gr.1 Vinery Stakes (200m) behind Treasure The Moment.
Sent south by Waller, Movin Out was having just her third Australian outing on Saturday and she showed just what she is made off as she buried her rivals with a powerful home straight surge in the hands of Ben Melham to power away with the Guineas by more than two lengths.
Waller stable representative Lizzie Collett was delighted with the filly who has already shown the stable she has a few tricks up her sleeve, both on and off the track.
“She only arrived Monday morning with us but she travelled down well,” Collett said.
“She is a fairly quirky character and I think the Sydney stable would agree with that, but she did everything right today as she was quiet and relaxed, and you couldn’t fault her in the mounting yard.
“I was happy with the way she settled and she just did everything perfectly and next week we hope to back her up and go to Adelaide for the (Australasian) Oaks (Gr.1, 2000m).”
Melham was taken by the run and is keen to stick with the filly if she makes it to Adelaide.
“She was very good and has been running in the right races where she was very unlucky in that first start in a slowly run race,” he said.
“She got it all wrong in the Vinery but she has good ability and is still learning. She’s very aggressive and was much better today. You just have to switch her off and you can see the turn of foot she has.
“I wasn’t happy to come around the lot of them but she had a class edge on them and when she relaxed, I was happy to take luck out of the equation and she was too good.
“I would definitely ride her in Adelaide as she is more than good enough to win as long as she can get some tempo in the race.”
Movin Out is a daughter of the Stravinsky mare Wahaha, a half-sister to four-time Group One winner Wall Street and was bought out of Anistay Lodge's Book 2 yearling draft for NZ$24,000 at Karaka last year. – NZ Racing Desk
