It was such a relief for everyone when her number went into the frame as the winner, the most relieved of course being Nolen, who was ready to be drawn and quartered on the spot had she not got over the line in front.

I’m sure that most readers of this column would read Dean Benson’s Back Chat column every Wednesday, and I could not have found better words to describe the aftermath, nor could I have agreed more with his sentiments expressed in Wednesday’s piece regarding the race.

Let’s just all dwell on her win and nothing else, because that is all that matters.

The highlight of the week’s racing was, of course the meeting at Moruya Jockey Club on Tuesday, where patrons were treated to highly competitive and exciting racing.

Almost every one of the seven races had a full field and although it may not have gone exactly to plan for our home track runners, there were many great performances from them, as well as from the visitors.

The Moruya track was in fantastic shape for the occasion, much to the credit of dedicated ground staff and it was good to hear the compliments flow from jockeys and trainers alike about the wonderful surface.

Jeff Penza, the highly respected hoop, stated that “it’s definitely one of the best tracks I’ve been on for a long time” when interviewed by John Scorse.

It looked like it was going to be a day dominated by local runners after Luke Pepper’s Zuccherina won the opening two-year-old Maiden race, with Jeff Penza in the saddle, by a very close margin over Lynda Bundy’s Moorings Siren. That was a very nice Moruya quinella, both being at almost double-figure odds.

Lynda’s Gloves Off finished a close fourth in the following Maiden sprint with Joe Azzopardi aboard, the first three placings filled by visitors.

Jay Ford rode Robert Price’s Four Star General to victory in the following Maiden (1425m) event, with Roly Saxton aboard the runner-up Le Cheval for Canberra trainer Norm Gardner. The eye-catcher in that race from a Moruya perspective was Mike Getty’s Rushtorio, who’s knocking on the door to break Maiden status.

Jeff Penza made it a double when scoring in very quick time on Mick Miladnovic’s promising Banya Luka Babe in the Class 3 (920m) scamper, with Chicka Pearson’s Stake Knife flying home late in pursuit for second, just missing by a neck on the line.

That was definitely his best run this campaign and I’ll be keen to follow his next assignment.

Laurie Brown’s Blown Assets also ran strongly for third, well ahead of the rest of the runners.

Roly Saxton rode Chris Strickland’s Looksgoodinblack for a half-length victory in the Class 2 (1300m) race before we were treated to the most exciting finish of the day, in the final event, a Benchmark 55 (1425m) event.

Rachael Backhouse’s The Devil’s Mark led by about a three-length

margin for most of the race but, heartbreakingly, was run down in the

shadows of the post and relegated to a head/short head/long neck fourth in a four-way photo finish.

It was Robert Price from Nowra whose Jubilee got the chocolates by a head over Benny Lynen’s grand campaigner Gelderbelle, with Luke Pepper’s Seanessy third, a long neck ahead of The Devil’s Mark.

Congratulations to Moruya Jockey Club’s committee for another sensational day’s racing on our home track.

It was also a tough day at Canberra last Friday where our six runners didn’t run in the placings, despite good performances.

Chris Hensler’s Blow Up The Pokies is our only runner at Goulburn today (race three) and Greg Backhouse has Grager, second up from a spell, nominated for the Benchmark 64 sprint at Kembla Grange tomorrow – check your guides for acceptances.

Until next week, good luck and good punting.