Hiccups don’t bother Belle
WINNING jockey Chris Symons saw the lighter side of a lengthy delay to the start of the Emsley Lodge Handicap at Moonee Valley.
The race for three-year-olds was run 12 minutes past the advertised starting time yesterday and it was Symons’ mount Jessy Belle ($14) which came out on top.
‘‘It was a race that started out as one for three-year-olds but ended up as a four-year-old race by the time it got under way,’’ Symons said.
But it was worth the wait for the winner as she collected $60,000 in prize money and $30,000 in bonuses.
The pre- race drama unfolded when Pole Paradise threw a shoe at the barrier and needed the services of a farrier.
After 10 minutes the horses were led into the gates but then the Peter Moody-trained Dig A Pony reared awkwardly, turning itself around inside the barrier. DigAPony was scratched. When the race finally started , Symons had Jessy Belle positioned three back behind the early leaders. She moved up easily to Magnesia ($8) before winning by a half length.
In her bid for four successive wins, Kiss Me Ketut ($4) finished three-quarters of a length third.
Trainer Luke Oliver said Jessy Belle was often underestimated but she kept getting the job done.
He will give her a freshen up and then look towards the autumn with a possible start in the South Australian Oaks.