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Moody gelding denies hot favourite in thrilling finish.
Daytona Bay's frustrating campaign finally enjoyed a high point at Flemington on Saturday when the gelding won the $130,000 In Memory Of Dean Holland, which was one of the headline events on the National Jockeys Trust Raceday.
The spotlight shone brightly on the 1800-metre benchmark 84 due to the appearance of the unbeaten Altivo, who was chasing a fifth-straight win, but he was denied by a perfectly-timed bob of the head from the Peter Moody-trained four-year-old.
Daytona Bay registered the first win of a six-start campaign that hasn't seen him finish further back than fifth, much to the delight of Moody's assistant trainer Katherine Coleman.
"I'm so thrilled because this horse really deserves it," Coleman said.
"He's a really tough horse and connections Ron and Judy Wanless have been really patient with him and persevered with him."
The Soft 5 track was a key to the victory according to Coleman.
"We've worked out that he doesn't like it too firm but he also doesn't like it too soft," she said.
"I said to (jockey) Tom Stockdale pre-race, 'we might have a Goldilocks track today, which is just right'.
"We've had everything work out in our favour today."
The son of American Pharoah, who started $17, scored by a nose from the $1.50 favourite Altivo with Flash Feeling ($26) 1-1/2 lengths away third.
It was the fifth win from 11 starts for Daytona Bay and Stockdale took special satisfaction out of winning the race named after the former popular member of the Victorian jockeys' room, who died in a race fall at Donald late last month.
"It's just great to win a race in Dean Holland's memory," Stockdale said.
Daytona Bay's win brought up a winning double for the Moody stable, who earlier saw Laura Lafferty guide Sigh to a first-up win in the $80,000 Stableline Sprint (1100m).
