There are plenty of good judges in the racing game who are of the opinion that the Freddie Head-trained mare, Moonlight Cloud, is the best miler in the world.
Those in the Betfair forums hoping that the brilliant daughter of Invincible Spirit would head to the West coast of America to tackle the Breeders’ Cup Mile were left disappointed, however, by the announcement that the French star will not bid to put behind the memory of her only poor career effort behind her. She beat just one home in the 2012 Mile, won by the outstanding US star, Wise Dan.
That poor effort came at the end of a long, hard European season that had seen Moonlight Cloud win a host of top races and go closer than any horse in the world to lowering the colours of the might Australian sensation, Black Caviar, forcing the superstar to pull out all the stops to hold on by by a short-head in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The decision to head to Sha Tin in December and tackle the Hong Kong Mile has come as no real surprise for racing betting fans, Head having long suggested that could be the intended final outing for the George Strawbridge-owned five-year-old as her American-based owner has significant interests in the former British–run colony.
According to the stats on betfair.com, the winner of 12 of her 19 career starts is unbeaten in four starts this term.
She defeated Lethal Force in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville in August, subsequent QEII Stakes winner, Olympic Glory in the Prix Jacques le Marois at the same track a week later, and the smart Gordon Lord Byron by three lengths in the Group 1 Prix de la Foret at Longchamp on Arc debut in early-October.