First-Up Runners Add Spice Under Moonee Valley Lights

Two of Australia's most-beloved sprinters, the locally based Chautauqua (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) and Queenslander Buffering (Aus) (Mossman {Aus}) add a world of intrigue to the first Group 1 event of the new racing season at Melbourne's Moonee Valley Racecourse in Friday's G1 Moir S.

Both talented runners represented their country with flying colors on the international stage in 2015. Chautauqua put together a streak for the ages late last term, finishing second in the G1 Newmarket H. while giving away tons of weight in March before a scintillating defence of his title in a soft-turf renewal the G1 T. J. Smith S. at The Championships Apr. 2. The popular gray gelding turned in yet another breathtaking performance in the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize in Hong Kong May 1, coming from no-man's land to record a somewhat improbable neck success. Connections elected to bypass trips to Royal Ascot in June and to Japan for this weekend's G1 Sprinters' S., choosing to focus on a domestic prep geared towards a run in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint Dec. 11.

Buffering, winner of the Moir in 2012, 2014 and 2015, is now nine years of age, and has an equally devoted fan following. He padded an already considerable bankroll with wins in the Magic Millions Sprint at the Gold Coast in January before upsetting a strong group of internationals in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in March, the 20th victory of a career which took him to better than A$7 million in earnings. He was well-beaten behind Chatauqua in the Chairman's Sprint Prize, but nearly broke the Doomben course record in a recent barrier trial and this minimum trip should be right up his alley.