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As Mid Summer Music raced clear to claim Saturday's $1 million Group 1 AAMI Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm to honour Peter Moody as the nation's leading trainer of Group 1 winners, the Caulfield based mentor must have reflected on how close he came to banishing the chestnut mare from the stable.
When Mid Summer earned her first stakes victory in the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes last July, Moody admitted that had it not been at the insistence of Linda Meech, Mid Summer Music would be doing her racing for a different trainer.
That day Moody recalled, "she won a
maiden at Warracknabeal and I suggested to the owners that she might have had a
birthday," Moody said.
"Thankfully at the insistence of Linda Meech and John Ivall, who is a friend of all the owners, suggested to me there was much more in her than I saw."
Few could begrudge the daughter of Oamaru Force her first victory at the highest level. She race almost every month without a break in 2011 culminating with a third behind champion stablemate Black Caviar and Buffering in the Group 1 Patinack Farm Classic. She had the Christmas - New Year period off before starting her 2012 campaign with a slightly disappointing seventh in the William Reid Stakes (G1) at Moonee Valley won by Foxwedge. She was beaten into second place by the rising superstar Atlantic Jewel in the Sapphire Stakes (G2) at Randwick before having to settle for second again in the Listed Prime Ministers Cup at the Gold Coast. The only time Mid Summer Music has failed to earn a cheque came at her most recent start in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000.
With Luke Nolen in the saddle, Mid Summer Music defeated the perennial bridesmaid Buffering by one and three-quarter lengths with Happy Zero a short-half-head back in third (photo Steve Hart).
"This is as good as it gets," Moody told Sky Racing World. "This is the ultimate in Queensland racing, tremendous thrill.
"It's been an unbelievable day. Very proud Queenslander, go the maroons."
"He (Luke Nolen) rode her for luck and she produced the goods."
"She's just an unbelievable trier. I've got to be honest I didn't expect it and that makes it all the better.
"I doubted her and she's made a mug out of me again. I hope she continues doing it for a while."
The victory takes the overall record of Mid Summer Music to 10 wins, 5 seconds and 5 thirds for earnings of $1,271,901.
Mid Summer Music is the sixth and final foal of the Randwick winning Nassipour mare Samsara Lady who died in 2006 after foaling Mis Summer Music who was hand raised (read the story here).
Samsara lady is a granddaughter of Irish 1000 guineas (G1) heroine Black Satin the dam of Group 1 winner Czaravich.
Mid Summer Music becomes the first Group 1 winner for Noor Elaine Farm stallionOamaru Force whose ather two stakes-winners are Yallambee Classic (G2) winner Diplomatic Force and the Listed winner Rocking Force.
A son of the royally bred Geiger Counter, Oamaru Force won 6 races out of 14 career starts including the Group 3 The Shorts (1100m) at Randwick, the Listed STC Starlight Stakes (1100m) at Canterbury and the Listed VRC Schweppes 3YO Handicap (1100m) at Flemington
He struggled for patronage for the majority of his career. Mid Summer Music comes from his second crop of just 8 live foals. The 2007 season proved the highpoint with 43 covered but he served just 7 mares in 2009 and 16 in 2010.
He had a upsurge of interest last year covering 42 mares at a fee of $3,300.
Group 1 - 1400m Class: Open. Track: Dead. Time: 1:23.06. Sectional Time: 0:35.40 at 600m. Prizemoney: $1,000,000 - 1st: $640,000 2nd: $200,000 3rd: $100,000. |
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| 1 | 14. Mid Summer Music | P G Moody | L Nolen (5) |
$31
|
53.5 |
||
|
6m Oamaru Force
x Samsara Lady (NZ)
(Nassipour (USA)
) Not Offered |
|||||||
| 2 | 1.8 | 1. Buffering | R L Heathcote | J Bowman (14) |
$6
|
58.0 |
|
 4g Mossman
x Action Annie
(Anabaa (USA)
)Not Offered |
|||||||
| 3 | SH | 3. Happy Zero | M, W & J Hawkes | D Dunn (7) |
$31
|
56.0 |
|
 7g Danzero
x Have Love
(Canny Lad
)Not Offered |
|||||||
| 4 | 2.0 | 4. Pinwheel | Peter Snowden | K Mc Evoy (12) |
$21
|
56.0 |
|
| 6g Lonhro x Quilt (Danehill (USA) ) | |||||||
| 5 | 3.0 | 2. Temple Of Boom | T J Gollan | N Rawiller (3) |
$10
|
57.0 |
|
| 5g Piccolo (GB) x Temple Spirit (Special Dane ) | |||||||
| 6 | 5.3 | 10. Spirit Of Boom | T J Gollan | R Mc Mahon (10) |
$12
|
54.0 |
|
| 4h Sequalo x Temple Spirit (Special Dane ) | |||||||
| 7 | 5.5 | 18. Shopaholic (NZ) | D T O'Brien | J Lloyd (18) |
$21
|
51.5 |
|
| 3f Pins x Splashing Out (NZ) (O'Reilly (NZ) ) | |||||||
| 8 | 5.8 | 8. Tiger Tees (NZ) | Joseph Pride | C W Brown (8) |
$8
|
54.5 |
|
| 4g Dubawi (IRE) x Parfore (NZ) (Gold Brose ) | |||||||
| 9 | 6.5 | 6. Sea Siren | J A O'Shea | J A Cassidy (4) |
$4.50
|
55.0 |
|
| 3f Fastnet Rock x Express A Smile (Success Express (USA) ) | |||||||
| 10 | 7.0 | 16. Varenna Miss | A W Noonan | J Noonan (16) |
$26
|
53.0 |
|
| 5m Redoute's Choice x Mica's Pride (Bite The Bullet (USA) ) | |||||||
| 11 | 8.5 | 5. Thankgodyou'rehere | P & W Webster | D Oliver (1) |
$26
|
55.5 |
|
| 6g Secret Savings (USA) x Winifred's Prayer (Tierce ) | |||||||
| 12 | 8.8 | 15. Sistine Angel | Andrew Noblet | C Newitt (13) |
$26
|
53.0 |
|
| 4m Testa Rossa x Famous Painter (Peintre Celebre (USA) ) | |||||||
| 13 | 9.0 | 13. Listen Son | T J Gollan | C Munce (2) |
$81
|
53.5 |
|
| 5g Big Jesse x Backstage Star (Regal Classic (CAN) ) | |||||||
| 14 | 9.3 | 7. Phelan Ready | Jason McLachlan | G L Cooksley (17) |
$21
|
54.5 |
|
| 5g More Than Ready (USA) x Nancy Eleanor (Blevic ) | |||||||
| 15 | 9.5 | 11. Torio's Quest | B A Partelle | G Boss (15) |
$21
|
54.0 |
|
| 4g Oratorio (IRE) x Quest For Pleasure (Quest For Fame (GB) ) | |||||||
| 16 | 9.8 | 9. Triple Elegance | C J Waller | L V Cassidy (11) |
$51
|
54.5 |
|
| 5g Mossman x Mary Machree (Quest For Fame (GB) ) | |||||||
| 17 | 9.9 | 17. Wealth Princess (NZ) | D K Weir | M J Walker (9) |
$7
|
53.0 |
|
| 6m San Luis x Wealth Star (NZ) (Senor Pete (USA) ) | |||||||
| 18 | 11.5 | 12. Celtic Dancer | N J Doyle | J L Taylor (6) |
$61
|
53.5 |
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| 4g Choisir x Little Wonder Why (Kala Dancer (GB) ) | |||||||
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