HALL OF FAME trainer David Hayes will target the Group One MRC Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) with Mossman filly Dinner Date after her impressive Merson Cooper win at Sandown-Hillside today.
The Gerry Harvey-owned miss started favourite in the he 1000m feature after placing third on debut in the VRC Solar Power Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day.
Dinner Date settled fifth of the 12 edging closer all the time before making a decisive move powering ahead to score by 0.8-lens.
“It was a good win,” Hayes said. ”She always appeared to be travelling well and she looked the winner a long way out.”
Connections were buoyed leading into today’s race in light of some high praise handed out by Melbourne Cup winning jockey Gerald Mosse who rode her at Flemington.
“(Gerald) Mosse thought if it wasn’t so tight last time, she would have gone close to winning,” Hayes said.
“She was looking at them (other horses) and it cost her the race. So we put the winkers on her and they have certainly done the job for her.
“Well probably put her away now. I would say she would make a better seven-furlong horse or a miler in the future.”
Dinner Date is one of five stakeswinners sired by Mossman during the current 2010/11 season joining Buffering, Hoofit, Love Conquers All and Neeson.
“Mossman had a fantastic season last year and has taken up where he left off,” Vinery Stud’s Conor Phelan commented.
“He has always been a thoroughly consistent sire but in the last few seasons he has really gone to a new level with the number of quality stakeswinners becoming more frequent.”
