Whispering Brook sizzled in the Listed Abell Stakes under jockey Dean Yendall (Image: Racing Photos)
The moments
Whispering Brook absolutely blitzed the Listed Abell Stakes field on her stable debut for Darren Weir, to suggest she might be set for higher honours to come yet. A superstar filly from WA, she had gone 11 starts without a win - albeit with four stakes placings including at Group 1 level in the 2016 Thousand Guineas behind Global Glamour and I Am A Star. But she got a much deserved win in mighty fine style in the $120,000 feature, under Dean Yendall's riding.
Jockeys' dedication to the task sees hoops cover all sorts of terrain to get the job done. To name just two big efforts on Friday, Craig Williams rode in the last at the Valley on Friday night, then was set to travel by car to Sydney overnight in order to partner Silent Sedition in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill on Saturday. As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, Williams is unable to fly as advised by his dentist after a recent procedure. Meanwhile, Jamie Mott had the gun ride on Cliff's Edge in the Group 2 Hacer Group Alister Clark Stakes and he duly saluted - coming off about a three-hour road trip from Sale, where he had five rides earlier in the day. Tough, tough caper.
Experience racing as a spring two-year-old can sometimes be an overlooked trait for a resuming autumn baby, and so it proved when Yulong Monoceros saluted in the $50,000 ($70,000 after VOBIS bonuses) event to kick off the card. Having finished unplaced, but not miles away, from the likes of Long Leaf and Oohood in a Merson Cooper proved to be the right form on Friday night, as the experienced Yulong Monoceros, under Luke Nolen, dived to beat Divine Mr Tycoon - a half-brother to Divine Mr Artie - who was on debut.
Everyone loves working from home - it's often a more comfortable conveyance. Working From Home was just that for the punters at The Valley on Friday night, thanks to Linda Meech and Daniel Bowman. Stepping back in grade, the homebred mare banked a city winner on the back of a promising fourth behind Hear The Chant at Flemington on March 3. Meech, the state's leading rider this season with 67 winners, made all with consummate ease on the four-year-old daughter of Time Thief. Omen bets don't come much stronger than the Robert Kingston-trained Niamh Chinn Oir. Going straight from the picnics to metro grade, the mare - named after the Irish mythological figure - rocketed into the placings behind Working From Home. After getting 'the luck of the Irish' to even gain a start as fourth emergency, she returned upwards of $10 a place with some bookmakers for those that found her.
Daniel Moor's fine season in the saddle continued with a strong win on the Luke Oliver-trained High Sierra. The Oliver stable leaped ahead of the likes of James Cummings and Matt Cumani in the Victorian state premiership, moving to 31 winners as a result for the Romsey-based operation. Given his form, it came as a surprise that Moor's name didn't feature in the top 20 jockeys in the state premiership - however, Friday night's winner sees him join that company, level with Harry Coffey on 45 winners. Such is the competitiveness among jockeys in the state, the 19 hoops above them are only spread across a 22-winner differential.
The quotes
"I copped a bit of criticism off her the last couple of starts - to all the owners, Darren [Weir], Leon and Troy [Corstens], they helped me through it." - apprentice Liam Riordan wore some pretty direct, harsh criticism from a punter following a recent beaten ride on the same horse, but he responded perfectly to salute aboard the Spicer Thoroughbreds-owned mare on Friday night.
"I've spent 21 years at Caulfield, and was maybe a little bit stale with that... it's going really well, it's sort of given us a new lease on life." - trainer Luke Oliver's move from Caulfield to Romsey has freshened things up for the horseman's operation, and the results continue to flow, as displayed by High Sierra's graduation from Terang maiden winner to Valley winner in successive starts. Oliver is now operating out of Kerrygail Farm, formerly used by Leon and Troy Corstens.
The stats
Jamie Mott - first Group 2 winner
Steph Thornton/Jerome Hunter - combined for three wins in the 955m series this season - Belwazi, Angry Gee (equal-best time this season) and now Our Gladiator. Thornton has personally won four, also winning aboard Dance With Fontein for Robbie Griffiths. It's already been noted Thornton is 'Queen of the Valley', but she's especially pretty bombproof over the short track.
Darren Weir - Moonee Valley treble
The tweets