Racing: Brilliant stayer's lucky day could be tomorrow

Mike Moroney. Photo / APN

Sydney jockey Jim Cassidy reckons he's found his next Kiwi, winner of the 1983 Melbourne Cup.

That's a big rap for a horse that's had just eight race starts.

But that was the depth of the impact Sydney stayer Maluckyday had winning Saturday's A$250,000 Lexus at Flemington.

"He's the best stayer I've ridden since Kiwi," said Cassidy.

What about Might And Power?

"He wasn't a natural stayer - he just had to be ridden the right way to make him stay the distance.

"This horse is a natural stayer."

Before the race trainers John and Wayne Hawkes asked owner Nick Moraitis whether, if Maluckyday won, they would be backing up in the Melbourne Cup.

"Your decision," said Moraitis.

It was a tough decision, but common sense tells you he's never going to get into another Melbourne Cup with 51kg Maluckyday (Zabeel from Natalie Wood, by Yachtie) had raced only seven times before going around in the Lexus.

Horses with eight starts behind them don't generally win Melbourne Cups.

A balancing factor is that this was the best Lexus field in more than a decade and Maluckyday came from last early and made the others look ordinary, which they are not.

He races like a horse who has yet to realise why he's on a racetrack.

Highly rated stayer Linton made his run at the leaders from approaching the home turn and Maluckyday, from near last came with him.

They charged at the leader Once Were Wild locked together, but when the real pressure went on at the 120m, Maluckyday left Linton behind, despite being disinclined to run straight.

The length of his stride is massive and his potential even bigger.

"He's very raw," said Wayne Hawkes.

"Originally, we were aiming him at the Queen Elizabeth on the final day, a race Might And Power won in the same colours.

"The right thing to do by the horse is not to run him in the Melbourne Cup and look after him for next year, but it is the Melbourne Cup."

Cassidy won't be on his back tomorrow. Because there had been no real intention to run Maluckyday, Cassidy took the ride on Once Were Wild, whom Maluckyday beat easily on Saturday.

Luke Nolen has been engaged for Maluckyday and is doing his best to get down to the 51kg.

Adding to the quality of this performance is that it was Maluckyday's first race the left-handed Melbourne way.

Matamata galloper Red Ruler got back beyond mid-field and did not improve greatly in the closing stages. He finished a well-beaten sixth.

He drops from 56.5kg to 53.5kg in the Melbourne Cup, but that may not be enough to guarantee significant improvement.

Linton's performance was overshadowed by the winner's, but it was still sound.

Once Were Wild was very gallant, finishing third.

* Thirty three fillies have won the Wakeful Stakes - Victoria Oaks double.

Melbourne horseman Mike Moroney can make that 34 on Thursday.

Moroney wasn't sure Brazilian Pulse would be able to manage the 2500m of the Oaks before Saturday's 2000m A$300,000 Wakeful Stakes.

He is now.

Brazilian Pulse covered nearly 2400m to win, being caught three wide without cover throughout.

She started from a wide gate and Craig Williams could not get her in.

If the New Zealand-bred filly had weakened in the last 200m she would have been excused, but, instead, she dug deep to out-grit the opposition.

Brazilian Pulse is by the essentially sprinting-oriented Westbury stallion Captain Rio. "But she's from a very stout staying family on her dam's side," said Moroney.

"She's such a lovely filly to do anything with. A lot of good fillies and mares have quirks about them, but she's a lovely, quiet filly and, at times, you can't help wondering if that's not going to stop her. It hasn't because she's a very, very tough filly."

Brazilian Pulse had a couple of barrier trials from the Matamata arm of the Moroney stable as a late 2-year-old. She was shipped off to Melbourne before racing.

She has a couple of fresh runners to beat in the Oaks, but none of those she faced on Saturday can beat her with level luck.

Bookmakers took a hammering with the win.

"The smarties backed her all day yesterday," said DoubleBet bookie Brian Taylor on Saturday.

"Looking forward to the ride in the Oaks," said winning hoop Craig Williams.