Caulfield Cup-winning jockey Brent Stanley reckons Beach Front, who delivered his first and so far only city success since taking up training, can also be his second metropolitan winner.
Beach Front, formerly trained by Peter Moody, saluted at Moonee Valley at her last start on December 20, will race against her own sex once more in the $100,000 Kellie Turvey Handicap (1200m).
“She will be going up in class in this race but I can’t see her running a bad race,” said Stanley.
“If they are not on top of their game she is going to be hard to beat.”
Stanley, who took out his trainers’ licence 12 months ago, said Beach Front wasn’t making the grade at Moody’s stable.
Since her switch in late 2012, she has notched four wins.
“She has come good as an older horse,” said Stanley, who won the 1996 Caulfield Cup on Arctic Scent.
The four-year-old daughter of Group One Australia Stakes winner Strategic is one of two Stanley-trained horses in the race.
Another Moody cast-off, Royal Scandal, will be Stanley’s other runner.
“I would love to see them quinella the race,” he said.
Damien Oliver, who rides work for Stanley, asked for the ride on Beach Front.
After changing stables in August, Royal Scandal won first-up for Stanley at Mildura and followed that with two runner-up placings, including one at Moonee Valley on November 29.
He’s expecting her to run a big race, especially with apprentice Patrick Maloney claiming 3kg off her minimum 54kg.