Trekking ready to go for William Reid Stakes at The Valley
Having placed in both the Moir Stakes and Manikato Stakes, Trekking will be looking to bring up his maiden Group 1 win at Moonee Valley in the 2022 William Reid Stakes (1200m) this Friday night.
The seven-year-old has had five starts at the track for four minor placings, three of which have come at the highest level, but he is yet to salute at the course.
Despite racing four times at Group 1 level at The Valley, Friday evening’s William Reid Stakes will be his first attempt at this race, with his other runs at the track coming in the spring.
The son of Street Cry resumed in the Bob Hoysted Stakes at Flemington on March 5 when 5.6 lengths behind Malkovich and Brooklyn Hustle with 63kg on his back, so the return to weight-for-age racing should be well received.
James Cummings, who is yet to win the William Reid, believes Trekking can be in the finish, but admits unbeaten mare Marabi will be very hard to beat.
TREKKING for team @godolphin stretches his legs this morning 🔵
The two-time Group 1 winning sprinter is bound for the @3_Point_Motors William Reid Stakes 💨 #LoveTheValley pic.twitter.com/bY8ylbd3Hv
— Moonee Valley Racing Club (@TheValley) March 20, 2022
“He’s got a big hurdle in front of him with the highly credentialled, undefeated mare in Marabi,” the trainer told the press.
“Trekking has trained there (Moonee Valley) beautifully during the week and he arrives second-up. I feel lately second-up is within his end zone.
“He certainly needed that run first-up with the impost of 63kg and now back to weight-for-age with the good draw to take advantage of that, they’re positives in his favour.”
Trekking will jump from barrier four and be ridden by veteran hoop Damien Oliver, who is hoping to win his first William Reid since Apache Cat saluted in 2009 for trainer Greg Eurell.
The dual Group 1 winner brings some strong form to tonight’s race, which will see him start as a $21 chance with online bookmakers, but Cummings isn’t letting the price shadow his confidence.
“He is the sort of horse who can turn up at Moonee Valley and put in a big performance,” he said.
“Having seen him five times at The Valley for four placings, he’s deserving of a win there.
“Three starts ago, he was beaten 2.2 lengths in an Everest, so that’s pretty good form.”
Marabi is an overwhelming favourite at $1.75 after her dominant win in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) a month ago, with most punters believing that the Maher & Eustace-trained five-year-old can take her already impressive record to eight wins from eight attempts.