Moore planning Park spin for The Wizard Of Eye

Simon Milham
August 31, 2022 9:19 am

Goodwood second back in action at Doncaster.

Stan Moore will send The Wizard Of Eye to the Cazoo Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster next week, as he begins what connections hope will be a lucrative back-end campaign.

The imposing three-year-old bypassed a Group Three option at Deauville last week because of fast ground.

Fifth in the German Guineas, The Wizard Of Eye was subsequently beaten three-quarters of a length by German raider Rocchigiani in the Group Three Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood on his first run following a 68-day break.

The son of Galileo Gold, was keen in the mile contest under James Doyle at the West Sussex track and with the rider currently sidelined with a hand injury, Moore could turn again to John Egan, who partnered him in his nine previous races.

Moore said: “He will go to Doncaster and then after that it will probably be France on Arc weekend over a mile (Group Two Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein).

“He is in great form and we are looking forward to running him. We are hoping that there will be a little bit of rain floating about before Doncaster.

“That is why we didn’t go to France. It was unusual for Deauville to be riding quite so quick.

“Then there was all the travelling and all that stuff.”

Some big winter targets are then in the offing. They include a return to Saudi Arabia, where The Wizard Of Eye finished a fair seventh in the Saudi Derby on his first visit in February.

A win for the German raider! 🇩🇪
Rocchigiani takes the Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes 🥇#ITVRacing | #GloriousGoodwood | @Goodwood_Races | @TomMarquand pic.twitter.com/eBW6PPyaID
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) July 29, 2022

“We don’t really want to overcook him too much as we might want to try to do Saudi again and all that craic, and maybe do something in Dubai. There are plenty of winter races for him,” said Moore.

Any plans to step him up in trip have been shelved for the time being, however, with a drop back to seven furlongs planned at Doncaster.

“I would rather really be going seven furlongs than a mile and two with him,” Moore added.

“He has plenty of pace. James Doyle did say he took a firm grip at Goodwood and he had to be at his best to half-settle him the way he did. He was just a bit race-fresh.

“If James isn’t available, I wouldn’t know who would be his jockey. It could be John (Egan) again, but I will just leave it up to the other three owners. I still own a quarter, but I’m only the passenger.”