Moody expects Magnus to win

Not even the prospect of an eight-hour flight and a complete change of climate can dent trainer Peter Moody's confidence ahead of Sunday's $775,000 KrisFlyer Sprint in Singapore.

When Magnus and Joe Janiak's grand veteran Takeover Target left Melbourne on Wednesday morning the mercury hovered around the seven-degree mark, vastly different to the 30 degrees and 100 percent humidity likely to greet them at Singapore's Changi Airport.

"It's not ideal but they learn to cope with it," Moody told Sportal.

Moody, who will join the five-year-old sprinter on Thursday, said he expected Magnus to win on Sunday.

"Anything less I'll be disappointed," he said. "I'm not going over there just to have a look. (It's a) long way to go if you don't think you can win."

Magnus will be limited to trotting and cantering once he lands in Singapore, Moody said.

Moody said Magnus, which has twice run second to Weekend Hussler in Group One sprints this preparation, was as 'fresh as a daisy' despite beginning his summer/autumn campaign in February.

"He's only had a run every four or five weeks, he's been lightly raced," Moody said.

The biggest danger in the Singapore race, Moody said, would be seasoned traveller Takeover Target.

The pair met most recently in the Group One T.J. Smith Stakes at Randwick in which Takeover Target finished third behind Apache Cat, and nearly four lengths clear of Magnus in fourth place.

Moody said another trip to England was on the cards for Magnus if he ran well in Singapore.

Magnus, a son of Flying Spur, ran a game third last June behind sprint queen Miss Andretti in the Group Two King Stand Stakes (1000m) at Ascot, finishing narrowly in front of Takeover Target.