Tough mare breaks duck the hard way

LOCAL mare Moshvago made jockey Craig Robertson earn his riding fee on her way to victory at Geelong yesterday.

The Jamie Edwards-trained fouryear-old broke her maiden at her home track, but it was not even close to a sitand-steer job for the veteran hoop.

After being slow out, Robertson had Moshvago up along the rails to sit behind leader Messika.

She then looked under pressure rounding the home turn, but responded to Robertson’s hard riding inside the final 100m to get the win on the line.

“I don’t think she made it easy for me at all, not for a stride,” he said.

“She is always slow away; it’s just her, I think. It takes a little bit to get into stride.

“Then she sort of got on the bridle, then didn’t want to be inside them. I had to make her be there.

“Then she wanted to lay in the straight and sort of not go to the line, but got there in the end.”

Connections have showed serious patience with their galloper, who added slightly to her stud value with yesterday’s win.

It was the only local win at yesterday’s synthetic meeting, however, the Heath Conners-trained Medicine Ball ran third in his 1900m.

Vin Malady’s maiden galloper Clever George continues to keep his hoof on the till with another placing.

Clever George, who has four seconds and two thirds from 10 starts, is starting to rack up a formline similar to that of stablemate Tigidig Tigidig.

Tigidig Tigidig has 15 seconds and three thirds from 42 starts, but has also won six times for connections. an anticipated