Nicola McGeady speaks to Peter Moody as Winx build-up continues

The all-important Ladbrokes Cox Plate barrier draw took place yesterday morning at Moonee Valley.

And speaking of draws, I got a decent one myself as I was seated next to legendary trainer-turned owner Peter Moody.

When I asked him about being an owner instead of trainer, he quipped: “It’s no fun paying the bills!”

“But it’s exciting to still be involved in racing. Myself and my family race a lot of horses and I’m still involved with a lot of connections who I used to train for all over Australia and the world.

“It keeps me very much interested in the game and I really enjoy it.”

Moody knows Winx is uncatchable but is still very much excited to have a runner in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate in the form of Hardham:

“He will need a 300metre head-start to beat Winx but it’s exciting to have a runner in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate at the same time.

“I know my horse has the ability to come second. However, he hasn’t been applying himself the last couple of runs so it’s really a guessing game.”

“Royal Symphony is the untapped horse. The rest of them aren’t good enough to beat Winx and aren’t entitled to come second to her to be honest. Royal Symphony goes for the mile-and-a-quarter for the first time so that is the unknown.”

“God give Hardham strength, I hope he’s the one that bobs his head into second.”

As the trainer of superstar Black Caviar, Moody knows exactly how Chris Waller is feeling:

“I think Chris is at the same stage as I was when I had Black Caviar. It’s not nerves about winning, but nerves about something going wrong.

“You try and take all the precautions that you can to make sure nothing wrong happens.

“Unfortunately for Chris and Hugh Bowman that can take away from the elation of winning quite often because it’s more about relief and getting through it unscathed.”

“That is where the pressure comes from.They won’t really get to enjoy her career until she probably retires.”

Click here for all our latest Horse Racing odds.

All Odds and Markets correct as of the date of publication