Liam Riordan guides Sister Kitty Mac to his first Moonee Valley win
THE MOMENTS
There was much anticipation around the first race of the night, thanks largely to the debut of $1.8 million yearling purchase Al Naifa, a half-sister to Group 1 English. Tony McEvoy’s filly certainly didn’t disgrace herself, but had to settle for a half-head second to a filly who boasted a contrasting story as a yearling, Lady Horseowner, who could not crack it for a berth at the yearling sales because she was too small. It was the first leg of a double to start the night for Nikita Beriman, who followed up with victory aboard Alonzah for Allison Sheehan in Race 2.
Bella Martini’s backers held their breath when the Hawkes Racing filly reared in the stalls and had to undergo a vets examination and some might have even wished she was scratched, thus resulting in them getting their money back. Turns out they got more than their money back with the 3YO justifying the vet’s call to let her run with a dominant on-pace win. It was the first leg of a winning double for Luke Currie, who later scored aboard Just Hifalutin for Enver Jusufovic.
Darren Browell headed to the track confident he would be going back to Bendigo with a winner, but it wasn’t necessarily the one his father Allen got the money with. Our Sevira – who was specked from $41 into $31 – injected some serious value into the quaddie when she brought up the fifth win of her 18-start career in the mares’ BM70 over 1200m. It made the defeat of well-backed favourite Star Hills earlier in the night slightly easier to swallow.
Ben Allen joined the list of apprentices to outride the metropolitan claim when he guided the shortest-priced favourite of the night - $1.60 chance So Far Sokool – to victory in the final event for Archie Alexander. Allen, who was in second position on the metro jockeys’ premiership around 12 months ago despite still claiming 3kg – registered the 80th winner that means he is no longer eligible to claim 1.5kg.
THE QUOTES
“I said to Greg (Eurell), I’m nicknaming her Nikita, because she’s so cool, calm and collected and she’s up for the fight. She’s a little beast,” Nikita Beriman after the gutsy debut win of tiny filly Lady Horseowner.
“It’s the first night with these colours, so Nikita jumped on them and I’ve jumped on them. We’re a bit superstitious like that,” Allison Sheehan, who clearly adheres to the adage that new colours are bad luck, after Alonzah made a mockery of that hoodoo to win Race 2.
“I’ve had a few setbacks in my short career and it’s just good to come here first ride at the Valley tonight and get a winner,” apprentice jockey Liam Riordan after guiding Sister Kitty Mac to victory, the start after finishing fifth in a BM64 at Dunkeld.
“Give a monkey a biro and eventually they’ll write a word,” Dean Binaisse, somewhat unfairly, playing down his effort to get World Of Hope to snap a 566-day winning drought in Heat 7 of the 55 Second Challenge. Her winning time of 56.44secs was well outside Mile High’s benchmark time of 55.12secs in the race for the $55,000 cheque.
“Next phone call he probably won’t be yelling at me,” Darren Browell after the win of Our Sevira, a much more pleasing result than the run of Seven Hills earlier in the night.
“Everything’s gone really quickly – probably a little bit too quickly – but it’s great to outside my claim for these owners, who have been big supporters of mine,” Ben Allen said in reference to OTI Racing, who supplied him with his Group 2 winner over the Spring Carnival; Lord Fandango in the Herbert Power Stakes.
THE STEWARDS’ ROOM
SUSPENSION: Chris Symons outed for seven meeting for careless riding aboard Lady Mahala in Race 2.
Race 1 – Yulong Mercury ($5, sixth): shin sore in both front legs.
Race 3 – Bellegano ($6.50, fourth): mucus detected.
Race 4 – Our Luca, who was the early favourite, was a late scratching just after 7pm after hitting her head in the tie-up stalls.
Race 5 – Camila Lucinda ($3.40 fav, second-last): mucus detected.