LIAM DURKIN
HORSERACING
MOE CUP
BY LIAM DURKIN
IF you are ever lacking motivation, just think – they raced at Moe when half the state was underwater.
And they didn’t just race, they held an entire meeting on Moe Cup Day.
While every other grass track in Victoria was deemed unfit to race last Friday, little old Moe in the Latrobe Valley went through a nine race-card
program unscathed.
In what was a proud day for the club, sure to live long in the memory of all those involved, the Moe Racing Club’s StrathAyr track passed the ultimate test on the biggest day of the club’s calendar.
On that calendar, the Moe Cup was pushed back a day from its traditional Thursday timeslot, and just as well – there was more than 20 millimetres that fell last Thursday.
While the sense of irony about rain on Moe Cup Day (which to those unaware, has become a recurring local joke) was not lost, officials would have surely been feeling trepidation as the rain pelted down.
Moe Racing Club office manager, Sandra Townsend, was reportedly on the phone all day
repeating the words “yes, we are racing tomorrow”.
Although many had predicted a washout after 23.6ml fell on Thursday night, they perhaps
underestimated the sheer strength of the club’s StrathAyr track.
The track had previously withstood 15ml falling before and 36ml falling throughout a meeting last year.
But a Moe Cup offered a sterner test, not so much in terms of the rain, but in terms of what was at stake.
In the end, you couldn’t have asked for a more ringing endorsement for the track at Moe Racing Club; you could hardly even notice rain had affected the track.
Jockey’s the calibre of Craig Williams have spoken glowingly of it in the past.
That track has well and truly paid for itself since it was installed in 2016.
The sand-based track is designed to allow continuous drainage to occur and prevent surface water laying on the track.
By the end of the meeting, Moe Racing Club had the last laugh against anyone who thought the meeting was ever in doubt.
The meeting started with Flight to the Moon winning the Race 1 Triple M Maiden Plate over
1600 metres.
In what was a thrilling start to the day, the first three horses were separated by a nose, with the four-year-old gelding sneaking in, sandwiched between Gottabesavvy and Satin Image, ridden by Trafalgar jockey Jason Maskiell.
Peintre’s Pride had a more straightforward victory in the Race 2 TM&H Mitre 10 Maiden Plate (1100m), winning by a length after running from third with 400m to go.
With floods across Victoria leaving roads closed and stables finding it physically impossible to transport horses through flood-affected areas,
only four horses were able to take part in this race.
This was followed by Empressive Enuff doing exactly as its name suggested, winning the Race 3 Harcourts Moe-Newborough 4Y0+ Maiden Plate (1100m).
The four-year-old gelding took an early lead and was rarely headed, winning for the Mornington stable of Dean Binaisse.
In the Race 4 Ian Grants Caravans BM64 Handicap (1000m), Jungle Sensation won the
sprint to the line.
The five-year-old mare has been in impressive touch, winning three of its last four starts and placing in all four.
Arkitika won the Race 5 Hydro Australia BM64 Handicap (1600m), getting the job done ahead of Claidheamh and Hollywood Park, ridden by Luke
Nolen of Black Caviar fame.
Race 6 was the Bottlemart Moe Mile BM78 Handicap (1600m), and was won by Sharper for
local trainer Mick Templeton.
Again, a small field left only three runners for the race, but spectators were treated to a good finish nonetheless, with the four-year-old gelding winning
by half-a-length to make it back-to-back victories.
Race 7 was the Ladbrokes Moe Cup, while two more races were held to round out the meeting.
Parisian Dancer won the Race 8 Moe Optical ‘Royal Snack’ BM70 Handicap (2050m) before Do Ya Punk got a win for prominent trainer Peter Moody in the Race 9 Moe Nextra Sprint BM78 Handicap (1200m).
In a boost for Moe Racing Club, the Cup was not the only race to carry significant prize money.
The Moe Optical ‘Royal Snack’ was valued at $50,000, the Moe Nextra Sprint at $60,000 and the Bottlemart Moe Mile at $60,000.
FENGARADA TRIUMPHS
By LIAM DURKIN AND MICHELLE SLATER
A METHODICAL performance saw five-year-old gelding Fengarada win this year’s Moe Cup.
The main event was run over 2050 metres, and carried a $150,000 prize pool.
Heartland Raider carried the hopes of locals, with the Charlie Gafa trained mare flying the Moe flag.
Sale-trained Plymouth Road also took part, but appeared to not want to jump once the barriers flew open.
Fengarada and Not Usual Glorious jostled for front position early, with the latter taking the lead all the way to 400m mark.
With 700m to go, the Travis Doudle trained gelding appeared in a good position, with racecaller and Stony Creek Racing Club chief executive Adam Olszanski declaring “everything going to plan for Not Usual Glorious, the SA visitor down the side trying to steal another one of our cups”.
However, Fengarada, having maintained a steady pace for the entirety of the race, broke from second in the last 250m, taking over to run away and win by a length from Fifth Position.
The win took his record to 16-6-4-0, and netted the Pakenham-based stable, headed by trainer John Leek Jr, an $82,500 prize purse.
Leek Jr, who owns and trains Fengarada, had the guidance of hoop Beau Mertens in the saddle.
Leek had entered the gelding in Wednesday’s half-million dollar Geelong Cup, but was thrilled with taking out the Ladbrokes Moe Cup.
“It’s like winning a Melbourne Cup to be honest, but without the [prize] money. It’s fantastic and exciting if you can have a country cups horse,” Leek said.
Leek had initially entered Fengarada in the Melbourne Cup, but couldn’t qualify him after
having purchased the gelding earlier this year for $20,000.
Since entering Leek’s stable, Fengarada has won five out of six starts. Leek is aiming for the talented stayer to have a crack at next year’s Melbourne Cup.
The gleaming grey looked rock hard-fit in the mounting yard thanks to being trained out of Leek’s property just out of Pakenham.
“It’s farm work at home, we have a 70-acre farm. He trains up hill and dale,” he said.
“My wife rides him every day and she has a handle on him if he needs a quiet or a busy day. He is in great condition.”
Heartland Raider put in an admirable performance to come third, made all the more meritorious by the face it carried by far the longest odds at $101.00.
THEY SAID IT
“This is a huge industry and I want to support the Moe Racing Club and its volunteers. I’m happy to be back on course after a couple of tough years.
“It’s a great day out and a great employer and the Moe Racing Club has done a great job to get people back on course. After COVID, we are focusing on getting people back to meetings.”
Victorian Racing Minister
Anthony Carbines
“Really good day’s racing, track performed superbly. The club has been really smart investing in what it has done.
“The track is excellent, no kick-back at all, very fair racing.
“Really good community feel today, good crowd, lots of different hospitality areas,
just a really good community day, real credit to the club and committee.”
Racing Victoria CEO
Andrew Jones
“We’re extremely pleased, large crowd, a local winner for the Cup, their trainer
use to train here.
“The track had 25 millimetres on it last night, had 57ml in the last five days and
was upgraded during the day, so it rates very well.
“I think that despite the weather and the first race meeting back in three years, it really is the start of a new era.
“A lot of stress (in the lead-up) but the staff are an amazing bunch of people, dedicated, and it all went very well.
“There was never any doubt amongst the committee we were going to race.”
Moe Racing Club Chairman
Mike Vandeerfeen
