Viddora building up for G1 Moir first-up

The Group One Moir Stakes is still more than five weeks away but trainer Lloyd Kennewell has taken the opportunity to give stable star Viddora a gallop at Moonee Valley to continue her build-up to her first spring target.

Viddora went agonisingly close to winning last year’s Moir (1000m) at Moonee Valley when beaten by She Will Reign in a photo-finish, before notching a Group One win a couple of starts later in the Winterbottom Stakes in Perth.

Kennewell is aiming the six-year-old at the weight-for-age Moir on September 28 first-up.

With Viddora’s regular race jockey Joe Bowditch riding at Swan Hill on Monday, Kennwell’s former apprentice Zac Spain put Viddora through her paces in an 800m solo work-out on Monday morning.

“She just came out for a nice little stride along,” Kennewell said.

“She worked over a half-mile in even time and then sprinted up the straight. Zac said he never let her go and she was just going through the gears really nicely.

“Zac knows her pretty well and he said she’s back as good as ever, which is good to know.

“It was good to bring her out just for something different, more than anything.”

Kennewell recently opened a Caulfield stable while also keeping an Adelaide base, and says the recent move has been like a new adventure for well-travelled Viddora.

“She’ll have a jump-out next week or the week after and then she’ll have one more jump-out or a trial and then she’s ready to go in the Moir,” he said.

After her second in the 2017 Moir, Viddora finished fourth in the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley before being freshened for the Winterbottom in Perth in early December.

The mare went on to win the Magic Millions Sprint at the Gold Coast in January and Kennewell has those races in mind again.

He is also keeping the door open for The Everest if there happens to be late interest in Viddora for the $13 million race in October.

“Her preparation will be pretty similar to last year, but we’ll just see what happens with The Everest,” he said.

“It’s not a big thing. We’re not worried whether it happens or it doesn’t happen but if there’s a slot and she happened to win the Moir then you can still look at it.”