HORSE RACING
By LIAM DURKIN
TALK about the perfect start to a meeting.
Moe stable Peter Gelagotis Racing celebrated after three-year-old filly Freshen won the opening race on Moe Cup day.
Entering with a starting price of $7.50, 2023 Moe Cup-winning jockey Craig Newitt expertly steered home a memorable ride in the TM&H Mitre 10 Maiden Plate over 1100 metres.
Freshen held its lead from the 800m mark, winning by the best part of a length on the inside from Kippis who simply ran out of time.
“A popular win, they were cheering from the stands,” racecaller Adam Olszanski quipped, even managing a slight chuckle himself.
That a local runner beat a horse trained by Ciaron Maher (one of the richest trainers in the country) was a further feather in the cap to the PGR team.
Connections celebrated accordingly, embracing around the mounting yard before rushing to congratulate Newitt.
Among them was Melbourne premiership forward Bayley Fritsch, who has become a close friend of the stable, as has Collingwood flag winner and current AFL match review officer Michael Christian.
Well and truly in his element, PGR general manager Manny Gelagotis huddled connections together for a pep talk, thanking them for their support and looking forward to future successes.
The good times kept rolling when House Of Lords won the Race 5 Moe Optical ‘Royal Snack’ Handicap (2050m).
Newitt again rode a winner for the stable, getting the five-year-old mare across the line by a length from Saxon Beauty and Emphasize, trained by 2023 Moe Cup winners Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young in a tight finish that saw five horses bunched in the photo finish.
House Of Lords has had an exceptional last six months, winning thrice and twice running second.
Three-year-old colt Caelius also ran well for the stable, coming second in the Race 3 Clearview Radiology Maiden Plate (1600m).
PGR representative Michael Gelagotis Jr Jr said it was great to have winners on the home track given the family’s history, not only in racing but also in business.
“Big thrill to win on Moe Cup day, it means a lot to our family,” he said.
“Really successful day, fantastic for the ownership group.
“Originally having our stables here, we’ve always said coming back to our hometown, our foundation was built here.
“The track was in fantastic order. In our opinion it’s one of the premier tracks for country racing in Victoria, if not the best, (it’s) always got cushion in it, always races as fairly as possible.”
As the junior Gelagotis (Manny’s son) explained, the path forward will hopefully see even greater honours for the three runners.
“House of Lords and Freshen will go to the paddock now, they are ones to watch for the autumn. Caelius will likely have one or two more runs,” he said.
On House Of Lords specifically:
“You dare to dream big with horses like that but at the same time you have to build them through the grades,” he said.
“Where she’ll take us we’ll let her take us where she wants to go, whether that’s country cups, benchmark 64s on a Saturday, or she might even be, who knows, a Caulfield Cup horse, who knows what she could possibly be.”
