Griffiths saddles up chances at the Valley
Trainer Robbie Griffiths is a subscriber to the theory you need luck in racing.
With two months of the season remaining, Griffiths needs some luck to swing his way if he’s to approach his tally of winners from previous years.
So far Griffiths has trained 55 Victorian winners, shy of the 98 he trained last year and short of previous seasons when around the 100 mark.
But Griffiths knows what he is doing is working.
“There’s very few days that we go to the races and don’t run top five, or predominantly top three,” Griffiths said.
“We’ve had a lot of photo finishes going the wrong way so we know the team’s running well without luck.”
Griffiths hopes the luck will be on Divine Quality’s side when she runs in the Ladbrokes Back Yourself Handicap at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Divine Quality has finished second at both her starts this campaign, collecting black-type behind First Among Equals at Flemington on May 19.
“The query is the Valley as she’s never been there,” Griffiths said.
“If she can use the draw, sit behind the speed, get around the Valley and runs just as well as she has at Caulfield and Flemington, then I think she’s a chance.
“She’s got black-type on her pedigree page now which is important and now she can run in a couple of mares’ races until she returns to Flemington on July 7.”
Griffiths also saddles Single Note in the Goodlife Essendon Handicap who returned to form with a win at Bendigo on May 20.
Like Divine Quality, Single Note is racing at Moonee Valley for the first time but Griffiths expects her racing style to be suited there.
“If Fred Kersley can bounce and use the gate I can’t see why she won’t be in the picture,” Griffiths said.
“She’s not a big horse and she’s been carrying big weights while she was getting fit, so now she’s fitter and down in weight a bit she gets a chance to have a crack at a Saturday race.”
Griffiths will decide on race morning whether Toorak Warrior runs in the Dominant 60 Years Handicap in an attempt to extend his winning streak to four while Dance With Fontein is bound for Adelaide after drawing poorly in the Dominant MVRC Partnership Handicap.