THE highlight of the past fortnight was undoubtedly Batemans Bay Cup day at Moruya on Sunday.
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However, a few Moruya horses did make the trek to the Goulburn and Canberra meetings in the week prior.
Jayko was the best performed horse at the Goulburn meeting on July 22.
With Maddy Wright in the saddle, Jayko took on his customary leader’s role but was collared in the last 100m and ran a creditable third.
At Canberra on the June 26 four locals tried their luck.
None went particularly well and the track conditions may have played a part in their runs.
I would forgive Sea Home and Deb’s Hope for their below expected results.
Gatto Mondo returned to racing on the day and hopefully Tom Lyttle can get this talented mare back on track in this preparation.
The racing on our home track on Sunday was excellent.
Many of the jockeys, trainers and owners enjoyed having their horse race on a relatively firm surface with an excellent cover of grass.
The crowd was up on last year’s meeting and enjoyed the winter’s day and close racing.
The first race was taken out by Chicka Pearson’s Painted Warrior with Steven Cummins’ Lion of Africa a close third.
Steven’s horse seems close to winning another race.
John Peiti won the second race with Aidan Anthony.
It was a gem of a ride from apprentice Nick Heywood steering him from an outside barrier to the lead on the rails and then holding on for a strong win.
It was a Moruya quinella with John Marzol’s Excellent Oratorio finishing strongly into second place.
In the third race Crown Me Jacko for Steve Stephens and Highly Charged trained by John Marzol both ran good races first-up and wins for these two seem beckoning.
After a quiet period of late, he seems to be putting together another good team of horses.
Bill ‘N’ Eve proved this when he took out the feature juvenile race for John at the horse’s first race start.
By top sire Sebring, this horse will hopefully go on improving and win plenty of races for his owners.
Race six was the feature sprint race and John Law’s Yarragee Road put in a good effort on its first run returning from a spell.
With that run behind him he should be competitive over the next two months.
In the Cup most interest was on Lynda Bundy’s Jacakaizane.
From a wide barrier and with the top weight, most expected he would still win especially when he took the lead halfway through the race.
However, as the steward’s report shows, the saddle had slipped forward early in the race and young Nick Heywood could not ride him out properly.
This would have cost at least the half-length he was beaten by.
Abishadow looked to be a bit disappointing in the Cup but got back in the field and had no luck in the straight.
Expect her to run a much improved race next time out.
To finish off the day Greg Backhouse’s Mr Burns was sent out favourite and ran a good second, on its first run back from his spell.
It was a great day’s racing and we look forward to yet another top day at the Moruya track on July 27 for a seven-race TAB meeting.
Horses to follow:
The horses to put in your little black book out of the Moruya meeting are Lion of Africa, Excellent Oratorio, Crown Me Jacko, Highly Charged, Bill ‘N’ Eve, Yarragee Road and Mr Burns.
Watch out for Jacakaizane in the city or the provincials in the next week or so. With less weight on his back he is capable of winning in town.