By David Nagel
Pakenham trainer Peter Moody had the eyes of the racing world focussed on him at Flemington on Tuesday – but he warmed up for the biggest day of the year by training a winning treble in much more serene surroundings at Traralgon on Saturday.
Moody-trained horses took out three of the seven races on the card, with two exciting prospects breaking their maiden status and a four-year-old mare winning her second race from eight career starts.
Moody got things underway early, with Dubai Nights scoring an easy two-length victory in the $25,000 Maiden Plate (1100m).
Dubai Nights, a three-year-old gelding out of Pride of Dubai/Vanilla Princess, had a strong preparation heading into his first race start, with solid performances at a jump out and trial.
Jockey Patrick Moloney sat outside the lead for the majority of the trip before forging clear over the concluding stages.
Dubai Nights powered clear over the last 100-metres, defeating another Pakenham-trained horse – the Phillip Stokes-trained Sirianni – by two lengths on the line.
Moody and Moloney then completed a winning double in race two – and headlined a second Pakenham-trained quinella – when Sudann dominated proceedings from the outset to score a three-length win in the $25,000 Maiden Plate (1430m).
Sudann is a lightly raced five-year-old gelding who was having just his fifth career start – his second for Moody – after starting his racing in New Zealand.
Moody acquired the son of He’s Remarkable/True Spirit in June this year, running fifth as a short-priced favourite at Pakenham at his Australian debut.
But an 18-week sit on the sidelines certainly paid dividends with Moloney taking Sudann straight to the front and giving nothing else a chance in the run home.
Sudann won effortlessly by three lengths, with the Charlotte Littlefield-trained Samedi leading the chasing pack.
Moody then completed a huge start to an even bigger week – and made it three Pakenham-trained quinellas on the day – when Dance To Dubai held on for a gutsy victory in the $25,000 BenchMark 64 Handicap (1100m).
Dance To Dubai started a short $1.45 favourite but had to work midrace and as the field turned for home.
Vulnerable in the straight, the four-year-old mare out of Pride of Dubai/Brisk staved off a late challenge from the Craig Blackshaw-trained Eagle Spirit to win her first race since breaking her maiden status in December last year.
