The G1 William Reid S. brings the Melbourne autumn Group 1 season to a close, and Lucky Hussler (Aus) (Husson {Arg}) is favoured to make it back-to-back scores in the Moonee Valley sprinting showpiece. Also the winner of Caulfield's G1 Toorak H. in the spring, the 7-year-old gelding started his campaign on a high with a win in the Magic Millions Cup on the Gold Coast Jan. 9, and was second when last seen in the G1 CF Orr S. Feb. 13.
The veteran will have to face a pair of in-form 3-year-olds in the form of Holler (Aus) (Commands {Aus}) and Japonisme (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}). The former bested a red-hot field of elders when winning Randwick's 1300 metre G1 Canterbury S. three weeks ago. Japonsime was the upset winner of the G1 Coolmore Stud S. in the spring and has made a good account of himself thus far this season, beaten a head behind seasoned Group 1 winners Chautauqua (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) and Terravista (Aus) (Captain Rio {GB}) in the G1 Black Caviar Lightning S. Feb. 20 before finishing fifth, beaten 1 1/4 lengths, in the G1 Newmarket H. 11 days ago.
Trainer Peter Moody bows out of the training ranks after Thursday's night's Moonee Valley card, when his sixth-month cobalt suspension kicks in, and he could go out in a big way, saddling the Feb. 27 G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Flamberge (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) as well as the lightly raced Kinglike (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), who won Flemington's G2 Danehill S. in the spring and was second to the smart filly English (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) first-up in the G2 Challenge S. at Randwick Mar. 5.
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