Business before pleasure for in-form Moloney
HIGH-FLYING Australian jockey Patrick Moloney did not hesitate to delay a holiday to make his first working trip to New Zealand.
The 23-year-old has answered a call from Michael Moroney to ride runners from the trans-Tasman trainer’s Matamata base, which he operates with Pam Gerard, at Otaki on Friday and at Ellerslie on Saturday.
“I’m stable rider for Mike in Melbourne and basically I have been for the last year and a-half to two years,” Moloney said.
“I was going to go on holiday and then Mike said to me that Jake (Bayliss) had been suspended and would I go over and ride a few. I said yes straight away, no dramas.
“I’m flying to Wellington today and will stay the night there before driving on to Otaki.”
Moloney will be aboard The Boy Wonder in the Group Three Lucia Valentina Wellington Stakes, as well as the colt’s stablemates Bocce (race two), Ali Baba (race six) and Sound Works (eight).
At Ellerslie, he will partner On The Rocks in the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial and has picked up outside rides on Sweet Leader (race one), Tattybogler (race two), Secret Stash (race six) and Tourmaline (race eight).
“I’ve watched The Boy Wonder and On The Rocks and they look nice, progressive three-year-olds so I was more than happy to jump on board and I might eventually get back on them if they come to Melbourne,” Moloney said.
“It will be a good learning experience no matter what happens.
“I’ll be back home after Saturday and then go on holiday. I was going to Bali, but with the volcano erupting I might have to change destination.”
Moloney has been in terrific recent form and rode three winners during the Melbourne Cup Carnival, including the Moroney-trained Vengeur Masque in the Group Three Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Last Saturday, he also guided the Robert Smerdon-prepared Grand Dreamer to victory in the Listed Ballarat Cup.
“I’ve had a really good spring and to get three winners during Cup week at Flemington was great,” Moloney said.
“I couldn’t be happier with the way things are going since I started in the senior ranks.”
Moloney has a career tally of 349 winners with his mounts earning nearly A$13.5 million.