AWESOME MOON WINS LIKE A GOOD THING

By Graham Potter | Saturday, September 30, 2023

The lightly raced four-year-old mare Awesome Moon became the latest winner in the KO Racing colours when she claimed her first career victory in her eighth start in a Maiden Plate over 1890m at Toowoomba on September 30.

Awesome Moon could not come from a better line on the male side of her pedigree. Her sire, Satono Aladdin, was a top-class racehorse in Japan where his eight victories included a Group 1 success in the Yasuda Kinen.

That win in the Yasuda Kinen, as described in a report in the South China Morning Post, took the Yasutoshi Ikee-trained stallion from a ‘million dollar baby’ to a Group One winner, the article referencing the fact that, ‘Satono Aladdin was the first horse Ikee bought for high-profile owner Hajime Satomi, who paid ?136,500,000 (HK$9.52 million) for the well-bred foal by Deep Impact out of the stakes-winning Storm Cat mare Magic Storm at the 2011 Select Sale.

Deep Impact, who won the Japanese Triple Crown in 2005, in turn was sired by Sunday Silence who won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness in 1989.

That’s quite a back story.
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Used as a shuttle stallion by the New Zealand based Rich Hill Stud, Satono Aladdin’s progeny thus arrived on the Southern Hemisphere racing market.

Awesome Moon raced three times (all unplaced) for co-trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young before finding her way to the Corey and Kylie Geran stable.

She finished unplaced again first-up for her new stable ... but that was just a sighter when resuming after a four month break over 1400m ... and Awesome Moon started to build fitness and performance over her next three starts in which she recorded a fourth place over 1540m, a second place over 1890m and a third place over 1900m ... all of which were priming her towards her first victory.

When that win came on September 30, Awesome Moon started at the restrictive odds of $1.85 and won like you would expect a hot favourite to do.

Awesome Moon, with Bubba Tilley in the saddle, jumped from the number one barrier, but she was shuffled back early, settling in sixth place as the field went out towards the back straight, racing some five to six lengths off the leader.

That deficit suddenly became as much as nine lengths as the $5 chance War Service sprinted away up front as the field went down the back stretch, but the race then changed complexion quickly approaching the start of the sweep to the home turn with War Service quickly coming back to a now bunching up field, a change which now had Awesome Moon just four lengths back, saving ground on the rail.

Tilley continued to bide his time, but he did start to switch Awesome Moon out away from the rail to ensure he would have free galloping room when he wanted Awesome Moon to go, and Tilly gave the Geran trained runner that signal at the 400m, putting his mount under hard riding as they cornered three wide, in full chase mode with just a little over two lengths to make up on straightening.

Another Dazzler ($9) had kicked for home at this stage, but Awesome Moon relishing the challenge, gained momentum swiftly enough to already head Another Dazzler (who wasn’t stopping) inside the final 200m.

From there, it was a one-horse race with Awesome Moon widening her advantage, full of running, to post a 2.50 length winning margin which, ultimately, was every bit as decisive as the pre-race betting had indicated it would be.
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Awesome Moon was the second leg of a stable double for Corey and Kylie Geran on the night following Husson’s Revenge’s win in the opening race on the card, meaning they had bookended the meeting.

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