Express Class set for Caulfield return with blinkers applied

Jockey Patrick Moloney maintains his belief in Express Class, seeing significant potential for the horse to achieve top-tier race victories.

Following an impressive debut victory at Sandown just under a year ago, Express Class was subsequently entered into three-year-old Stakes races for two starts the following month. His second appearance saw him secure a third-place finish in the Group 3 Vain Stakes.

After a break for the spring season, the Gerard Moloney-trained Express Class made his comeback for a late summer-autumn campaign. He initially contested a benchmark race against older horses upon resuming, then returned to Stakes company for three more runs. The campaign concluded with a seventh-place finish in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) held at Flemington.

Express Class is scheduled to begin his spring campaign in the Quayclean Handicap (1100m) at Caulfield this Saturday. Moloney is optimistic about a strong performance, despite the horse being assigned barrier 12 from a full field of 14.

“He's had two nice trials coming into it, albeit his last one he got a bit lost at Caulfield going up the back straight and running up the hill,” Moloney revealed.

“He didn't know what was going on, but his work has been excellent.

“We've been working him in blinkers which he will have on Saturday, and I think you'll find a much more furnished horse this time around.”

Moloney commented that Express Class is still developing his 'race smarts' and anticipates the blinkers will be instrumental.

“When the penny drops, he's definitely good enough to put a race away like this,” Moloney explained.

“But it just seems, every time he gets to Caulfield, he draws badly and has to take his medicine early and is that flashing light run.

“He can do a few things wrong by the same token, so I'm hoping with the blinkers on and the track is racing true and you can make ground out in the middle, or wider, you'll see a horse that has come back an improved animal.”

As Express Class approaches his fourth birthday in just over a week, Moloney indicated that his spring program would likely involve benchmark races in the upcoming weeks, depending on his Saturday performance.

“He'll be a four-year-old in a few days and only has the one win, so we'll just work out where he is in the pecking order and work with his rating,” Moloney said.

“He just needs to prove himself through the ratings, but what he shows at home he can be a nice Saturday horse, and to what extent, we don't know.

“We just hope that he brings what he does at home, to the races.”

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