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A look at the Moonee Valley action

3 minute read

A look at was making news at the Moonee Valley meeting on Saturday.

SHUFFLE DANCER winning the Ladbroke It! Plate at Ladbrokes Park Lakeside in Springvale, Australia.
SHUFFLE DANCER winning the Ladbroke It! Plate at Ladbrokes Park Lakeside in Springvale, Australia. Picture: Racing Photos

Thought time for Shuffle Dancer 

Peter Moody will have to consider whether he pushes on for an autumn stakes race or gives Shuffle Dancer a freshen up after the filly's win in the I Am Immortal 1st Yearlings Handicap (1500m). 

Punters that took the short quote about Shuffle Dancer had some anxious moments in the run to the home turn before Ben Melham was able to find a clear passage, going to record a 1-½ length win. 

Moody is mindful Shuffle Dancer is a daughter of I Am Invincible and maybe susceptible on wet ground. 

After winning a maiden at Sandown and another lower grade city race on Saturday, Moody said Shuffle Dancer has stakes race upside. 

"I think she has the scope to develop into a nice filly, perhaps at the backend of the autumn, so I've probably got to have a bit of thought as to where I place her," Moody said. 

"Do we push on to a couple of stakes races coming up or do we take the foot off the pedal and look to South Australia or a Brisbane campaign. 

"I'm just very mindful that Vinnies like top of the ground, so that will play a bit of a part in the decision." 

Maturity the key with The Hass 

Trainer Julius Sandhu says maturity has been the key with The Hass who is unbeaten in his two runs this campaign after taking out the Brix Property Group Handicap (1200m). 

Having registered one win from eight starts in his first two campaigns, The Hass has returned this time in to register victories at Cranbourne and Moonee Valley. 

The Hass showed good speed to lead under apprentice Celine Gaudrey, but but it was at the other end of the race that he plenty of fight to hold off the runner-up Harbin to win by a long-head. 

"His last campaign was so much about learning," Sandhu said. 

"We put him out after his last campaign, and he's come back a lot more relaxed horse at the races now. Nothing bothers him which is the complete opposite to last time." 

Back-to-back Valley wins for Dubai 

Apprentice Carleen Hefel has ridden Dance To Dubai in back-to-back Moonee Valley wins for trainer Peter Moody at Moonee Valley. 

Dance To Dubai scored on New Year's Eve at The Valley, leading throughout, and won again in a similar fashion in Saturday's Gav "Disco" Neville 50th Handicap (1200m). 

Hefel has played a role with the Moody stable for around a decade, breaking in several horses for the trainer before being granted an apprenticeship. 

"She's a very good horsewoman but her jockey skills have improved dramatically in the last six months or so," Moody said. 

"It's the old story of a jockey needing an opportunity. They get on better horses, put them in positions and then think, 'I can do this'. 

"It's like the horses." 

Moody said Hefel, who is apprenticed to renowned horse breaker Julien Welsh, come in to ride trackwork for the trainer a couple of times a week. 

Besides her two wins on Dance For Dubai for Moody, Hefel also guided Princess Rhaenys to victory at Flemington last week. 

Owner lands quickfire treble 

Owner Wylie Dalziel cannot think of a better 40 minutes in racing with his large team of horses. 

After Dance To Dubai won the Gav "Disco" Neville 50th Handicap, Dalziel watched Riot And Rose carry his colours to victory in the Camperdown Cup before Pounding took out the Musk Creek Farm Handicap (1600m). 

To add to his sequence of winners, Red Hot Nicc carried the Dalziel to victory at Flemington on Friday. 

"I don't think I've had four winners in quick succession," Dalziel said. 

"They all drew great barriers today, they were all favourites, so we came here confident. 

"There's a lot of hard work that goes into buying these horses. We're not a big operation, a boutique operation in terms of our numbers, so it's great when it all comes together." 

Dalziel heads Wylie Dalziel Roy Higgins Racing and has around 55 horses on his syndication books. 

"I take shares in all of them, so I've got to watch my training bills," Dalziel said. 

"It's a bit surreal." 

Quote of the day 

"She was always going to win the race, it was just a matter of how she was going to win it. That's why you have good riders on, they don't panic" - trainer Peter Moody after Shuffle Dancer difficulties to win the I Am Immortal 1st Yearlings Handicap. 


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