O’Reilly gelding Mosse (NZ) will make the next step in a highly promising career when he takes on stakes company for the first time in the G3 Concorde Hcp at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Unbeaten in four attempts to date, Mosse has done everything asked of him by Cambridge based trainer John Bell.  “He really is a gentle giant and very much a laid-back character so I guess we will see just how deep the petrol tank is this weekend,” said Bell.  “He has handled everything thing we’ve thrown at him so far and I do think he might be something special.  But you never know until they face the top-liners and there are plenty of them in the Concorde.”

Mosse (4g O’Reilly – Golden Sparkle by Gold Brose) won on debut at Pukekohe in April prior to a winter spell.  He returned for victories at Taupo and Ellerslie in September before overcoming trouble in transit back at Ellerslie on November 6.

If all goes well for the horse on Saturday, Mosse will head towards the G1 Railway Handicap (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.  “I’m hoping he will do enough to enable us to look at the Railway and then possibly the Telegraph at Trentham in January,” said Bell.  “In time, I think he will get over ground as his half-brother has won over 2000 metres and the way he relaxes you would think he will get a mile at least.

“Relaxing is certainly something I don’t have to worry about with him as he basically spends his time eating, drinking, exercising and sleeping.  He does it all at his own pace and the other day when I went looking for him he was flat out in his box sound asleep.”

Mosse didn’t come cheap as a yearling – he cost $200,000 from the Westbury Stud draft at the 2010 NZB Karaka Select Sale.  Champion Waikato Stud sire O’Reilly got him from an unraced daughter of Listed VRC Vanity Stakes winner Classy Twiggy (Twig Moss).