Racing: Moriarty too good

Photo / Thinkstock

Moriarty has given trainer Chris Waller his 10th group one win for the year and Douglas Whyte has crossed off a bucket list item in the Kingston Town Stakes.

The 1800m race at Ascot, Perth, on Saturday was the final group one race for 2014 with Moriarty scoring in a photo finish from Disposition.

The win was a first Australian group one for Whyte, the winner of 13 Hong Kong riding premierships.

"Perth's 300m straight felt like 600," Whyte said.

"It's been something I've wanted to do for a long, long time and I've ticked the box now."

Whyte, who rode the Waller-trained Junoob to seventh in the Caulfield Cup, travelled to Perth to ride Moriarty after Nash Rawiller was suspended in Hong Kong.

Rawiller rode Moriarty to third in the Perth's biggest race, the Railway Stakes, two weeks earlier.

Waller's 10th group one for the calendar year was his eighth for the racing season which began in August.

Those eight wins have come with eight different horses, putting Sydney's premier trainer on track for an outstanding season.

Sydney jockey Tommy Berry had no luck in the Kingston Town, when the Gai Waterhouse-trained Pheidon finished last of the 16 runners, but the Sydney rider did snare two stakes races on the Ascot programme.

He rode Watermans Bay to win the Scahill Stakes and Palace Intruder in the Aquanita Stakes.

The trip to Perth was one Berry was keen to make after spending time there as an apprentice.

When equine influenza hit Sydney in 2007, Berry and his twin brother, the late Nathan Berry, were sent west by their father and then boss, Kevin, to ensure they could keep riding.