Moody says it’s over
HAVING been inducted alongside some of his childhood idols in the Queensland Racing Hall of Fame, Peter Moody has ruled out a return to the training ranks.
Asked by MC David Fowler if he would ever come back, Moody didn’t hesitate in offering a firm “No’’.
“I was able to get my licence back (after a suspension from the Lidari cobalt saga) and I chose not to, but I’m enjoying being involved in (other aspects of) racing,” he said.
Moody entered the Queensland Racing Hall Of Fame on Saturday night, being inducted with late jockey Ken Russell, administrator P.J. O’Shea and $7.3 million earner Buffering.
“To be recognised alongside the likes of (Tommy) Dawson, (Jim) Atkins, (Brian) Mayfield-Smith, Bruce McLachlan, men I grew up admiring and dreaming to work for and work beside, is one of the most humbling things I’ve done in all my life,” he said.
Leaving Queensland to pursue greater riches in Victoria was “one of the saddest moments” of Moody’s life but a necessary one after Amalfi’s Victoria Derby win lifted his profile on the national stage.
“I love Queensland, there’s no bastard in the room more Queenslander than I, but for me to take the next step I had to move south and Amalfi was the catalyst for that,” he said.
Moody’s fame grew through the deeds of Black Caviar, but her unbeaten 25run sequence is not at the top of the Wyandra product’s assessment of his training feats.
“The proudest thing and I think my greatest achievement as a trainer was the three best horses I ever trained, Typhoon Tracy, Black Caviar and Dissident, all retired off the back of weight-for-age Group 1 wins at the top of their game, not the bottom,” he said.
Moody said “barring misadventure or misfortune” Winx would join Kingston Town as a three-time Cox Plate winner next month.
He revealed he spoke to Chris Waller and Hugh Bowman regularly, sharing similar stories of the pressure that goes with being associated with a racing megastar.
“It’s sad when you’ve got something that good, it’s not about celebration when they win, it’s about relief,” he said.
“I never realised the greatness of Black Caviar until the afternoon I announced her retirement. I sat down in my office, had a few big bottles of beer and watched every one of the 25 wins in the office and took it all in myself.”
Moody credits hard work for bringing him good luck and said he never lost sight of why he got into racing.
“I did what I did for the love of the horse,” he said.
“It’s afforded me a great living and a wonderful career but I was always very mindful that was very important to me.”