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Patrick Moloney won his first race at Flemington in 30 months when dual Victorian country cup winner Declares War led throughout in the $135,000 Australian Racing Hall of Fame Trophy (2000m) on Saturday.
Trained by Matt Cumani, Declares War ($7) defeated Haky ($11) by a neck with Hypnos ($2.90), the New Zealand visitor looming as the winner on straightening, a further long neck away in third.
Moloney would have felt as if the Flemington winning post would never arrive as Declares War, who ran the 800 to 400-metres in 23.96 seconds when asked to quicken by his rider, slowed to complete his final 400 metres in 25.86 seconds.
David Payne is confident the switch back to fillies grade can pay big dividends for Montefilia on the quick back-up in Saturday s Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick.
Tagaloa and Santa Ana Lane half-sisters up for auction at Inglis Sale by Gilbert Gardiner A half-sister to Tagaloa will go through the ring Image: Ashlea Brennan
Trent Busuttin wants Blue Diamond winner Tagaloa s regally bred half-sister but the Cranbourne trainer knows only a blank cheque will guarantee the prized yearling.
The I Am Invincible filly, out of Arrowfield Stud’s broodmare Vasilissa, the dam of Tagaloa, is one of many siblings of Group 1 winners set to be sold at the Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
“From all the reports I’ve heard about the horse (Tagaloa’s half-sister) I’m thinking you might need a blank cheque to buy her,” Busuttin, who trains in partnership with wife Natalie Young, said.
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Group 1 Australian Guineas day at Flemington produced more than one unexpected result and while on occasion it left punters scratching their heads, so too connections of beaten runners.
A $301 winner of the feature race meant there was plenty of fallout from the Guineas itself and the stewards were busy, suspending two leading jockeys for careless riding. Read all the information and fallout from a big news day.
PLATOON (3rd)
Jockey Brad Parnham: “It was a great run, the pace backed off and then they quickened at the 600m and when that happened he was left flat footed, but really built to the line. He wants more ground than 1400m so he was good.”
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The crowds were back at Flemington on Saturday, but you could have heard a pin drop in the mounting yard after the longest-priced Group 1 winner in Australian history, Lunar Fox, prevailed in the Australian Guineas at the odds of $301.
Thousands of mouths were open wide all across the course as Lunar Fox put paid to the favourite Tagaloa inside the 200-metre mark then fought off the flying finish of Cherry Tortoni to register a win that few could fathom.
1986 Caulfield Guineas winner Abaridy ($251) had been the titleholder of the longest-priced G1 winner.
The First 4 on the race for Lunar Fox ($3.10), Cherry Tortoni ($10), Tagaloa ($3.50) and Embolism ($81) paid almost $1 million with Tabcorp ($974,376).