Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park) will need to prove herself the equal of More Joyous (More Than Ready) to win the Gr.1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield.
The Mike Moroney-trained daughter of Ocean Park is burdened with topweight of 58kg in Saturday’s 1600m handicap, the same weight More Joyous lumped to a narrow victory in the 2010 edition.
Like Tofane, More Joyous was a multiple Group One winner prior to winning the Toorak having taken out the Flight Stakes in 2009 and the George Main Stakes as her lead-up to the Toorak.
Both of those Group One wins were registered over 1600m, the same distance as the Toorak, at Randwick.
On the otherhand, Tofane has won three Group One races, all at 1400m.
The first came in the 2020 All-Aged Stakes at Randwick before she won the Stradbroke Handicap and then the Tatt’s Tiara, both at Eagle Farm, this year.
Moroney is convinced Tofane will handle 1600m and had her first start at the trip in the Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington September 11, finishing fourth.
“She only ran a length off those good horses at her last run and was only half-a-length off a Cox Plate winner, so it was a pretty good effort,” Moroney said.
It will be four weeks between runs for Tofane, but Moroney gave her an 800m jump-out at Flemington on September 23 to keep her up to the mark.
“She trialled really well, she looks great and we’re really happy with her,” Moroney said.
“It will four weeks between runs, but if she had a run every two it would have been four runs in six weeks, so we thought we’d give her a little bit of a breather.
“Running in the Toorak will give us a line on whether we go into the (Group 1) Empire Rose (at Flemington) or whether we go to The Invitation over 1400 metres at Randwick.”
The final field for the Toorak Handicap will be declared on Wednesday.
