Much-travelled Floria out to give trainer Peter Moody another long-odds Doomben Cup win

FLORIA will be out to cause a Domben Cup upset, seven years after trainer Peter Moody won the race with another mare at long odds.

Floria will be out to cause an upset in the Doomben Cup for trainer Peter Moody.

THE much-travelled Floria will be out to cause an upset in the Doomben Cup, seven years after her trainer Peter Moody won the race with another mare at long odds.

Floria did her early racing in New Zealand before joining the Moody stable and campaigning in four states.

The six-year-old is a $31 chance in Saturday’s Doomben Cup (2000m) which Moody took out with $21 shot Cinque Cento in 2007.

Stable racing manager Jeff O’Connor said there were similarities in the preparation of Floria who had her lead-up in the Group 2 Queen of the South Stakes (1600m) at Morphetville in Adelaide last month.

Floria ran a long head second to Tango’s Daughter while Cinque Cento won the race in 2007 before her Doomben Cup win.

“Floria was desperately unlucky not to win,” O’Connor said.

“She has done virtually what Cinque Cento did. She is used to travel and the Doomben 2000 metres should suit her.”

Cinque Cento is the only mare to have won the race since its change from a handicap to weight-for-age in 1990.

Floria is one of three mares in the race with Angel Of Mercy at $23 and Streama the TAB’s $4.80 equal favourite with Leebaz on Friday.

O’Connor said Floria had been very unlucky since coming to Australia and deserved to have won more races.

“She finished second in the Dane Ripper Stakes and third in the Tatt’s Tiara last time she was in Brisbane and she didn’t have much luck,” he said.

O’Connor admitted 2012 Epsom Handicap winner Fat Al would need to turn his form around to win.

“He did win the Bendigo Golden Mile, a good standard race, for us but really since we have had him we have had no indication he is back to his very best,” he said.

But O’Connor said Fat Al’s seventh in the Hollindale Stakes on heavy ground was encouraging.

“His run in the Hollindale on a track which didn’t suit him wasn’t too bad,” he said.

“He will roll forward from that alley (9) on Saturday and we will see.” A win by Fat Al would fill in the last page of jockey Chris Munce’s scrap book.

He has won every major race in Queensland except the Doomben Cup.