Gregor Mactaggart
EMERGING galloper Holt continued his love affair with Moe on Monday.
The promising four-year-old made it back-to- back victories at the Latrobe Valley track with an impressive 1 ¾ length success in the Kiss Print Solutions Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m).
Jockey Jake Noonan took Holt, who started the $1.75 favourite on the back of his previous Moe win, straight to the lead from barrier five and he was never headed.
Trainer Enver Jusufovic expressed his delight at the performance as Holt again revelled on a
rain-affected surface.
“I thought it was a good effort because he’s deep into his preparation,” Jusufovic said post-race.
“He’s probably not as sharp as he was early days, but I think he’s starting to learn the caper and I think he’s got a future.”
Paul and Tracey Templeton enjoyed a hometown victory when Joltin’ Joe stormed to the finishing post in the Ladbrokes Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m).
The four-year-old son of Stryker has developed into the stable star this preparation thanks to a series of consistent performances.
Jockey Jason Maskiell produced a well-timed ride aboard Joltin’ Joe ($7) who beat home No
Shame ($9.50) by 1 ½ lengths, with Drone Strike ($9) rounding out the trifecta.
“He’s matured into a nice horse this preparation,” Paul Templeton said post-race.
“He’s always shown good ability. As a three-year-old we set him a couple of hard tasks, ran in good maidens and he was always competitive.
“He was a very highly strung (horse early days), but he’s starting to put it all together.”
Jockeys Damien Thornton and Ben Allen shared the day’s riding honours courtesy of winning
doubles.
Thornton came to the fore early, winning the Solomons Moe Maiden Plate (1200m) aboard
Extreme Flight ($2.80fav) for Team Freedman.
He then backed up in the very next race with Storm De Lune ($5.50), a winner of the K.I.S
Comms & Cameras Maiden Plate (1600m).
Allen’s double consisted of Maree De Lune ($4.80), who stylishly took out the Blackshaw
Racing Maiden (2050m) and Toorak Playboy in the last event, the Ladbrokes Moe Cup October 15 Benchmark 58 Handicap (1600m).
Toorak Playboy ($8) is another horse who tends to save his best form for Moe, with this latest success his second in as many starts at the venue.
For Allen, he was relieved to stay in the good books with dad John, the trainer of Toorak Playboy.
“I didn’t have much luck then, it was a good training effort,” the jockey reported.
“I absolutely butchered him, he was wide the whole way, but he won well. It’s an unreal result, I’ve ridden four or five winners now for dad, so it’s great.”
Tasmanian raider Full Knots Ahead turned heads with arguably the day’s most emphatic win in the S&S Equipment Hire Benchmark 58 Handicap (2400m).
The official winning margin was 2 3/4 lengths, but jockey Craig Newitt was quite kind to the Sigrid Carr-trained six-year-old mare, who put the race away early in the home straight after dictating terms in front.
Jockey Daniel Stackhouse and Tim Hughes combined with O’Mahlo in the Ladbroke It Benchmark 58 Handicap (2050m).
The five-year-old had a reputation for being something of a non-winner, but he shattered that by showing good tenacity to edge out Royal Valley by a nose.
Moe’s propensity to throw up a surprise result was on show in the opening race.
Nana Jenn proved the day’s longest-priced winner at $20 when she won the Duarts Homestead Maiden Plate (1200m) on debut.
A three-year-old daughter of Star Witness out of the well-performed mare Geblitzt, Nana Jenn held off $61 pop Native Girl as the odds-on pop Miss Middle Park failed to fire and finished fifth, beaten by 3.3 lengths.
