BROWNIE'S BLOG: HAPPY MEMORIES OF THE MOIR STAKES AND THE VALLEY WITH THE MIGHTY BUFFERING
By Damian Browne | Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Brownie’s Blog is the weekly personal blog of multiple Group 1 winning jockey Damian Browne. With the 2019 edition the $1 million, Group 1 Moir Stakes set to take place on Friday night, Brownie fondly recalls his involvement in a race which has treated him very well. He also puts the spotlight on a New Zealand horse who is flying into the record books and who could break even more new ground in her next start and he congratulates two young riders with well know surnames who both claimed their first career victories as jockeys over the last week. This is Brownie's Blog … exclusive to HRO.
The Group 1 Moir Stakes comes up on Friday night at Moonee Valley and I obviously have great memories of the race which Buffering won three times.
In 2014 we beat Lankan Rupee in what was a half match race … a very tactical race which we won … and then in 2015 Buffering took on a couple of very good youngsters who were on their way up. He served it up to them and just blew them away really.
The race with Lankan Rupee in a small field is the one that I have fond memories of because I think I sort of outfoxed Froggy Newitt in the race.
I think Newitt led on the horse in its previous run and (trainer) Mick Price had said he wasn’t that keen on Lankan Rupee leading this time.
About an hour before the race I said to Froggy … ‘I’m going to lead. I’m just going to go.’
He ended up handed that up to me pretty soft. He jumped probably a length in front of me and could have led, but straight away he started coming back, so I didn’t really have to push and cross him.
Instead I just took my time and I got the sectionals I wanted to get so, by the 600m, I’d made it virtually impossible for him to run me down. I was feeling good then. It was one of my better tactical rides I feel.
Because it is a tight turn at Moonee Valley, if you can keep up a pretty high cruising speed it is hard for other horses to gather their momentum and get into a rhythm.
That’s what Buffering used to do. I used to deal it up to them and try and get them off the bridle, give him a quick, wee breather and then start dealing it up to them again. Obviously, a few times he was able to hold on by doing that.
It was also at Moonee Valley … in the Manikato … where Buffering got his first Group 1 so that is the one that immediately springs to mind for me as far a Moonee Valley goes.
The Moonee Valley chapters in the Buffering book make very happy reading.
With names on the Moir Stakes honour list such as Black Caviar, Miss Andretti, Apache Cat each edition of the race has a lot to live up to but, yet again, it should again provide a cracker of a race on Friday night!
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Taking about good horses, there is a really good one going around in New Zealand … and it is possibly about to make history.
After winning the Windsor Park Plate, Melody Belle has now won eight Group 1’s in New Zealand. In reaching that mark she has equalled the eight Group 1’s of Mufhasa and she will be looking to go better in her next Group 1 assignment on October 5.
If she is victorious there, Melody Belle will also become the first horse to win the spring Group 1 treble at Hastings.
People might remember that Melody Belle looked great over here when she won the Sires 2017 and then I think she might have started favourite in the TJ Smith.
I think Opie Basson got sick on the day and they had to change riders for the TJ. The race was run at Doomben then as well and things didn’t go well for her … but we had seen how good she could be when she won the Sires and people were talking about her being unbeatable in the TJ.
That result didn’t go her way but obviously she had a high reputation from day one. It is hard to keep that going on into later life and still be competitive at Group 1 level but she is doing just that.
Melody Belle is trained by Jamie Richards. I actually used to ride a lot with Jamie’s father Paul when I was an apprentice. Jamie was only about eight or nine years old in those days.
Since Jamie went out on his own in 2018 as sole trainer for Te Akau Racing in New Zealand.… before that he was in a training partnership with Stephen Autridge … he has done very well.
I don’t know Jamie well but I did ride a few for him when he came over here and, to me, he came across as a young Peter Snowden with good knowledge of his horses and a very level head on his shoulders. Getting a job like that with Te Akau racing … it’s like getting a Godolphin job … he must be doing something right.
First Jamie and Melody Belle will try to take care of that final bit of business in New Zealand and then they’ll be looking at their options in Australia … even the Cox Plate has been mentioned in dispatches.
Wherever she goes, Melody Belle’s story will be an interesting one to follow.
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Congratulations are in order for Jadyn Lloyd and Campbell Rawiller.
These two young men are just starting out on their careers in the saddle and they both scored their first race wins over the last week much to the delight of their families with dads Jeff Lloyd and Nash Rawiller obviously particularly proud as punch.
It’s the first of many wins, I am sure. Hopefully they have both got bright futures.
When their fathers have been such great riders, it can add to the pressure on them … but the plus of that is that because of that relationship their wins get more exposure than might normally be the case and obviously does help them build their profiles … and bear in mind they also have the fathers as mentors to go to and talk about anything which is a great asset.
And, if you are wondering, the answer is … no.
My son is not going to become a jockey. He loves animals but I don’t think being a jockey is on the radar for him and I’m happy about that.
If he wanted to, I would support him but, equally, I am happy if he doesn’t go there.
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