LIAM DURKIN
HORSE RACING
By LIAM DURKIN
MIDWEEK racing was held at Moe Racing Club on Tuesday, May 17.
The club hosted an eight-race meeting on a track initially rated a Soft 7.
While the track itself had an offical grading, the atmospheric condition had most in attendance
quipping in classical Australian understatement that it was ‘a bit fresh’.
With beanies and Kathmandu jackets a familiar sight at the meeting, the actual racing acted like a fireworks display – with people coming outside for the racing every half an hour before retreating back indoors or undercover.
The meeting also kept those civilly minded happy, as they could simply shoot next door to
the Moe Bowling Club in between races to vote in the Federal Election.
The Ladbroke It! Maiden Plate over 2050 metres was won by Gimme A Buzz for Pakenham trainer Tim Hughes.
The three-year-colt put in a strong performance, leading at the 800m and 400m mark to win by 1.5 lengths.
In a nice touch, one of the connections said post-race they could now complete their bumblebee tattoo, adding the date Gimme A Buzz secured its first win.
The Ian Grant’s Caravans Fillies Maiden Plate (1100m) saw Black Orlov win for Robbie Griffiths and Matthew de Kock at Cranbourne.
It took just one race for Moe’s StrathAyr sand-based track to be upgraded to a Soft 6, and Black Orlov took to the turf with ease, winning by almost four lengths.
Trafalgar jockey Jason Maskiell had to make do with riding second on board Miss Mouse for
Benalla’s Russell Osborne.
The Bottlemart Moe Maiden Plate (1100m) was won by Shove Over, who fought to the line
with Black Zous.
Jockey Patrick Moloney continued his love affair at Moe, having rode the winner of last year’s
Moe Cup.
Wolf Rein won easily to take the Moe Optical Maiden Plate (1200m).
The three-year-old filly was rarely challenged, leading for most of the sprint to win in a canter
by four lengths.
There was a further connection to a local cup winner, as Wolf Rein was ridden by Jamie Mott,
the man who piloted Huntly Castle to victory in last year’s Traralgon Cup.
In the S&S Equipment Hire BM64 Handicap (1200m), Burton Street took advantage of a good barrier draw that suited those running on the inside on a superior patch of grass.
The Cranbourne trained gelding responded well after being spelled for four weeks to take the win for trainer Patrick Keane.
The TM&H Mitre 10 Class 2 Handicap (1600m) saw a Gippsland winner, as Flying Basil recovered from an underwhelming start to win by 1.25 lengths.
The win gave Bairnsdale trainer Jackson Pallot more silverware to take back east, continuing a remarkable run for Flying Basil, who has now won four of its last five starts.
Surprise packet Devon Miss won the Ladbrokes Mates Mode BM58 Handicap (2400m) for Bass trainer Belinda Simpson, while the best race was saved for last, with a quartet of horses all passing the post with less than 0.5 of a length separating them.
In the end, Mott was able to secure another win, taking the Hip Pocket LV BM64 Handicap
(1100m) on board Archipeta Beach.
Archipeta Beach rounded out a difficult quaddie for punters to find, paying more than $28,000 on the Victorian TAB.
The finish was perhaps a fitting one for racecaller and Stony Creek Racing Club chief executive officer Adam Olszanski to deliver.
The man known as ‘the voice of racing’ has been working alongside executives from Moe, Stony Creek, Latrobe Valley (Traralgon), Sale and Bairnsdale Racing Club’s to help see the
sport flourish in Gippsland.
Racing will next be held at Moe on Sunday, June 5.
