Moonlight is serious
YOUNG apprentice Timothy Johnson is making a habit of picking up big races out west after he won the Rich Hill Stud Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) in Hawera on Saturday.
Three months ago he headed to New Plymouth and won the Listed Opunake Cup on Longchamp and he made it a notable double in the Egmont club’s Group III feature on Underthemoonlight.
Johnson thought he had got himself into trouble turning for home after he opted to stay closer to the rail while Jonathan Riddell took leader Bonniegirl wide on a track bordering on heavy for the entire day.
‘‘She didn’t have much speed early but she finished off real good,’’ he said.
It was never his plan to end up where he did in the $80,000 race but he soon had the race in hand when the El Hermano mare sprinted past her rivals.
It was Johnson’s first group win.
Winning trainer Karyn McQuade was delighted with her under-rated mare who has been close up in her last two starts.
McQuade said the plan prerace was to be one-off the fence from their good draw and just try and keep out of trouble.
‘‘That didn’t happen the way the race panned out but he [Johnson] kept his cool when they all went wide and he shot back in and here we are.’’
McQuade said Underthemoonlight had a finishing burst that was astonishing at times.
‘‘A lot of jockeys get worried because they have four or five lengths to make up but her last 100m is usually pretty phenomenal.’’
She won easily by six lengths with Slice of Class second and Rocknrolla a long neck back in third.
McQuade will consider backing Underthemoonlight up next Saturday at Rotorua in the Lion Red Plate if she comes through this race well.
Meanwhile, leading weight-forage performer Kawi will head to Australia earlier than planned.
Trainer Allan Sharrock has confirmed travel and racing plans for his upcoming Perth venture.
The Taranaki horseman had considered a run at Awapunibefore departure but has instead opted for an extra start in Perth.
‘‘He would have been given 67.5kg here and that’s a lot of weight and there’s the possibility of a wet track,’’ Sharrock said.
Kawi will instead be on a flight at the end of this month and after a Melbourne stop-over will travel to Perth where he opens his campaign in the Group II Lee Steere Stakes1400m) on November 5.
‘‘It’s worth $A250,000 and at weight-for-age so it was a nobrainer really,’’ Sharrock said.
He will then run a fortnight later in the $A1 million Group I Race Images Railway Stakes(1600m) and the $A1 million Kingston Town Classic(1800m) on December 3, all three races at Ascot.
Kawi decisively won both his starts at the Hawke’s Bay carnival this season and following his firstup success in the Group I Makfi Challenge Stakes he overcame a three-wide run to claim the Group I Windsor Park Plate.