As the lights go out on the inaugural Ladbrokes Friday Night Lights season this evening, we celebrate the end of Season 21 of Night Racing at The Valley.
120 races have provided many memorable moments and reasons to celebrate under lights across 16 night race meetings, 15 black-type races and $9 million in prizemoney from September through to March.
As the curtain draws we look back at some of the highlights. Who could forget opening night and veteran hoop Jeff Lloyd piloting a double including aboard the sizzling filly Houtzen, Thronum’s upset in the Australia Stakes and Tulip back to her best in the Champagne Stakes. As recent as Friday night crowd favourite Cliff’s Edge gained more admirers in the Alister Clark Stakes while the efforts of ex-Picnic hoop Clayton Douglas to pilot his first city winner at his first ride at The Valley all stand tall.
Here are the Top 5 moments for the 2017/2018 Ladbrokes Friday Night Lights Season:
5 – The Hunter stable has serious speed
All going well, Jerome Hunter will have a cheque for $25,000 in his hands tonight thanks to his remarkable feats in the Ladbrokes 55 Second Challenge. The Mornington horseman has won three heats of the 16-leg series, and to emphasis the achievement, star trainer Darren Weir didn’t have a winner this season. Hunter had three individual horses do the job including Belwazi, Angry Gee and Our Gladiator. Take a bow.
4 – Nature Strip tears up the turf
The win that got racing circles talking! On November 17 in the 1Print Handicap the three-year-old son of Nicconi strolled in for his second victory, but it was the style that he did it in by 5½ lengths that got people talking. The photo of a smiling Ryan Maloney who had time to pose was the beginning of a winning streak that shows no signs of stopping.
3 – Newly crowned Queen of The Valley
The rising star of The Valley this season has been 19-year-old hoop Stephanie Thornton who has made the Moonee Ponds velodrome her own. In her first season of metropolitan riding, Thornton registered 21 city wins to her name with 13 of those coming at The Valley leading to her new title, ‘Queen of The Valley’. Things went to a new level on December 1 when she rode a treble.
2 – Manikato Stakes delivers in spades
Oh the drama! A packed house under lights on Cox Plate eve set the scene for Australia’s richest race under lights and that began when crowd favourite Chautauqua was controversially scratched at the barriers to the roars of the crowd. Turning for home it looked like Ben Smith may land his maiden Group 1 with In Her Time or Malaguerra could return to the scene of his Australia Stakes win, but it was Australian Guineas winner Hey Doc for Tony McEvoy who reigned supreme.
1 – She Will Reign did just that
There were plenty of knockers on a three-year-old filly returning from a Golden Slipper triumph to take on the big boys first-up in the Moir Stakes. History said it takes a very good one to do it and given Gary Portelli’s fillies position on the home turn it was going to take an extremely good one… that she was! Fans of Adelaide mare Viddora were out of their seats, but they didn’t count on the finishing boom of She Will Reign.
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