Moody caps stellar 24 hours with treble

By Mike Hedge

MELBOURNE, March 23 AAP - A glittering 24 hours that began with Black Caviar extending her unbeaten sequence continued with a winning treble at Caulfield for trainer Peter Moody on Saturday.

Moody scored with Sino Eagle in the Winning Edge Cup, Ready To Rip in the Listed Thoroughbred Club Handicap and High Esteem in the Connellan Industries Handicap - and probably wished he'd been on hand to cheer them home.

Instead Melbourne's premier trainer was at Rosehill where he came up empty on day one of the Sydney autumn carnival.

In his place, foreman James Horton led in the winners, the most impressive of which was High Esteem.

A costly yearling purchase, High Esteem had shown enough promise in his first few runs to earn a crack at the Australian Guineas earlier this month, a mission which proved beyond him.

Moody switched him to a three-year-old race at Sale 10 days ago and the confidence he gained from winning it helped him to the line at Caulfield.

"He'd shown us plenty at home, that's why we went to the Australian Guineas," Horton said.

"It didn't work out, perhaps it was too much for him."

But High Esteem ($4.20) showed he might again be on an upward path with an all-the-way, 2-3/4 length victory over Air Striker ($9) who finished a half length in front of Shoreham ($8.50) in third.

Ready To Rip also appreciated a return to a more suitable class race with his narrow win over stablemate Club Command.

The sprinter is part-owned by Graeme Scheu, the mayor of the Queensland town of Goondiwindi, whose presence at Caulfield was a tip in itself.

"Peter was quietly confident and that was good enough," he said.

Brad Rawiller nursed Ready To Rip ($5.50) under his topweight of 60kg, coaxing the narrowest of wins from the gelding.

Club Command ($7.50) battled on strongly for second a half-head in advance of Offenders ($26).

Sino Eagle ($8.50) provided the foundation for the Moody treble with his neck win over Tyanna ($18) with a short head to Later Gator ($8) in third.