CAUL JULY 17 – MOODY’S REWARD FOR PATIENCE

By Taron Clarke | Sunday, July 18, 2010

Caulfield, July 17, 2010.
Track - Dead 5. Rail - True.
Sir John Monash Stakes (Listed WFA) - 1100m. Time: 1-04.70. (Carrying 58kg).
1 Reward For Effort; 2 Keano; 3 Royal Ida.

Trainer Peter Moody came to Caulfield not content with winning his maiden Victorian trainers premiership in two weeks’ time, but laid stake to claim one of the greatest training performances of the racing year.

Moody presented the talented Reward For Effort, after an absence of 67 weeks since his last run, a failure on a heavy track in the 2009 Golden Slipper, won by Phelan Ready.

A win after an absence of that period of time is a training feat to be proud of, but to do it in a feature Weight for Age sprint just adds more polish to the sterling training performance of Peter Moody and his dedicated staff.

Ridden by stable jockey Luke Nolen, the Exceed and Excel colt capped a wonderful day for syndicator Dean Watt, after they had won earlier in the day with stable mate and blueblood Triumphant Choice, and also interstate with Atomic Force at Rosehill.

From barrier rise the 2009 Blue Diamond winner was brilliantly into stride from his favourable gate of three. Jockey Nolen, let the favourite get into his gait before allowing the handsome colt to quickly find the front after only a furlong.

Nolen was content to cuddle Reward For Effort and hold the colt back to the field as the other jockeys were forced to find their optimal positions.

Reward For Effort and jockey Luke Nolen were able to hold the inside running in front of the field with pressure coming from Champagne Harmony on his immediate outside and even wider was Royal Discretion who was trapped three deep.

The other fancy in the race was Oakleigh Plate runner up Arinos, who was forced to settle in the second half of the field after only a fair getaway.

As the field raced down the side passing the 600m mark, jockey Steven King on board Champagne Harmony elected to ease out of the speed duel up front, allowing jockey of the moment Danny Nikolic and Royal Discretion to slide across one off the fence and sit outside Reward For Effort. Royal Ida and jockey Brad Rawiller were presented with the run of the race in fourth position one off the fence behind the speed.

It was evident as the field wheeled round the home turn and into the early part of the straight, that Moody’s colt had a strong kick up his sleeve.

Once jockey Nolen had let Reward For Effort balance up at the 300 metre mark, he slipped the Moody galloper some more leather and he quickly put two lengths on the tiring Royal Discretion whose early effort was starting to tell.

It was at this time that jockey Brad Rawiller presented rising ten year old Royal Ida into the race and looked set to lay down his challenge.

Reward For Effort, who held a length margin was fighting on like a caged lion over the concluding stages when challenged by Royal Ida, who himself was first up since February. It was only late in the peace when the sixty seven week break for Reward For Effort started to tell.

The enigmatic Keano, had secured a lovely run in transit on the back of Royal Ida for jockey Nick Hall and was the horse hitting the line with the most force.

As the judge called a halt to the 2010 rendition of the Sir John Monash Stakes, there was the slenderest margin of a short head for Reward For Effort, who had done all the donkey work up front on the speed over Keano, with a further short half head back to Royal Ida in third.

In a blanket finish there was less than a length separating the first five over the line.

What adds more merit to the win was the fact the two speedsters who took the three year old in opening stages of the race namely Royal Discretion and Champagne Harmony finished second last and last respectively, some ten and a half lengths from the winner.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Peter Moody: “It’s sort of been heartbreaking the last twelve months to watch all the other three year olds go round and collect the spoils, while this bloke has been laying around not doing a lot, and it’s been a lot of hard work.”

“It’s been a long ride and a hard ride, the owners have been patient and happy to wait because I’ve always had the belief that he is as good of colt as there was in the land. I thought he should of won a Golden Slipper if the track wasn’t heavy and hopefully, he is allowed to get to those heights that I think he can.”

“Touch wood, everything seems okay and its been terrific. You will see him each time there’s a suitable race, when there’s a suitable surface.”

“He was as fit as I could have him without racing, but being a big strong entire that he has developed into, he has grown into a magnificent individual.

"Common sense tells you that he is just going to get better and better. You know you go back to his Blue Diamond win, where he sat just off the pace, when he gets into that mould over 1200 metres and I reckon even 1400 metres, you’re going to see a hell of a four year old.”

“There’s basically a race for him every couple of weeks at handicap or weight for age and the track surfaces will determine.

“We have the Bletchingly here in two weeks where we’d loved to be at our home track. We’ve got the Dermody in Adelaide and we’ve got the Missile Stakes in Sydney. We’ll just wait for the tracks to present and go from there.

"Whether it’s two, three or four weeks, we’ve waited twelve months and we’re not going to rush him and we’re not going to run him on an unsuitable surface.

“We didn’t think we would be leading today but when Signor Socks came out, I just said to Luke travel for as long as you can for as far as you can, it doesn’t matter where you are.”

“I think he will run 1400 metres. Most of the progeny of Exceed and Excel that I have trained will – obviously he’s out of a strong Rory’s Jester influence on his dam’s side.”

“He’s the sort of horse that will never have a spell again for the rest of his career. He will have to just keep ticking for when things are suitable.”

“He’s had three runs on good and dead for super, and he went to heavy and he didn’t cope with it. I look at that Golden Slipper replay and I run second in it with Headway, but I can’t get it out of my head that he strolled to the front 300 metres out and Luke let his head go and he nearly fell over.”

“I thought he’d won it, but I was a bit scared when Greg (Miles) said Keano’s dived.”

Jockey Luke Nolen: “There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes. They’ve done a great job to get him here as fit as they could – a lot of thanks to a lot of people behind the scenes to get him here today”.

“The only time he actually travelled for me today, the first part of the race was when the horse of Peter Morgan’s rolled up on my outside and he sort of had to get up on the bridle and get fair dinkum. We kicked as good as we could and I held what I thought was enough up my sleeve and we tip-toed to the line with our head in front”.

“He was gone at the 75 metres, but I thought I had hung on at the post,”

“He was gassed – but Pete has done a great job to get him to here. He’s won first up and I thought that was a pipe dream. He’s such a gross colt and he’s done a fantastic job with him, so I dip my lid to him.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Reward For Effort): 3.00 out to start 3.30
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Royal Discretion was allowed to stride forward in the early stages to take up a position to the outside of Reward For Effort near the 600m.

At the 400m, Berringama layed out and had to be steadied out away from the heels of Royal Discretion.

A veterinary examination of Champagne Harmony revealed no abnormalities.

A veterinary examination of Royal Discretion revealed the gelding had pulled up distressed. Trainer Mr P Morgan was notified that prior to Royal Discretion racing again, a veterinary certificate of fitness must be produced.

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