Jordan Childs brought up a Moonee Valley treble in fine style aboard I Boogi (Image: MVRC)
The moments
All eyes were on the unbeaten You've Been Had coming to town for the first time for Mornington trainer Lisa Enright and jockey Jake Noonan, but he was swamped late to finish fourth behind the talented galloper I Boogi first-up for the Russell and Scott Cameron stable at Flemington in the Benchmark 70 over 1200m. That result saw Jordan Childs bring up a treble in fine fashion, matching Steph Thornton's trio of winners.
It was day one of summer, and that always means greater chances for apprentices in town - although Thornton's successful night at the Valley was more a continuation of her recent run, but a breakout night nonetheless. The teenager had them off the bit chasing very early in the Valley straight aboard Camila Lucinda, and while the filly tired late, the race was run and won by then as Thornton chalked up her third career Valley winner in the Production Resource Group Handicap (1000m). She very nearly pinched the first race too aboard Considering for Shea Eden only to be run down for second by Fern, but Thornton went one better 30 minutes later. And she didn't stop there - punching home Roseberry Street and Belwazi for her second career treble, and first time with multiple winners on a metro card.
While held out by Camila Lucinda, Caulfield horseman Matty Lindsay's only horse Magnesium Rose still certainly flew his trainer's flag highly when brave in defeat. Magnesium Rose was boxed in the run from the fence draw, and gave the winner a start at the top of the straight, didn't appear to handle the tight turns at the Valley so well and came into contact with Magic Mils, and was still only beaten a length. Promising signs.
Like clockwork, the 3000m Benchmark 78 on November 17 was quinella-ed by the same pair that did so again on Friday night - Weave and Crafty Cruiser. The Anne Yates-trained five-year-old was giving 1.5kg to Crafty Cruiser from that last start, but the weight was no problem as Weave, under Ben Allen, went on to win by about 1.25 lengths. Now, the Bagot Handicap is in the picture as a potential target race for him. Meanwhile, for 10yo Crafty Cruiser, it was the first time he had started single figures in a race since the 2015 Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes. He lapped up the ground late, but simply conceded too far a start to the winner, but the old warrior ran well yet again.
The quotes
"The mother [Gawne] is a half-sister to Great Shot that won the Railway last week, so there's a bit of kick in the blood right there." - Trainer John Moloney knew the importance of getting a maiden win to his High Chaparral filly Fern in the 1300 Australia Plate (1600m), the blinkers the key to getting her breakthrough victory at start number seven.
"We're staying in Ballarat, the whole family's coming down, even mother from Europe, the old man's staying back at home, but it'll be a good Christmas." - When you've got 15 winners in your past 48 runners, the people come to you - as in-form trainer Matt Cumani revealed, following the win of Tristano.
The stats
Stephanie Thornton - first metro treble
Jordan Childs - Moonee Valley treble
Matt Cumani - first Moonee Valley winner (Tristano)
Michael Walker - a two-track double with a winner at Sale (Georgica), and again in the last at The Valley (Tizso Wicked)
56.69s - Belwazi's winning time in the Ladbrokes 55 Second Challenge
Tye Angland - Canterbury double
The tweets