Confidence sky high with Foxbridge Plate winner Underthemoonlight
UNDERTHEMOONLIGHT was paying $27 for this month’s Group 1 Tarzino Trophy at Hawke’s Bay, but after an imposing win at Te Rapa on Saturday, expect those odds to shorten.
The six-year-old followed up its dominant victory at Tauranga last start with another storming performance in the Group 2 Lisa Chittick Foxbridge Plate in shocking conditions at Te Rapa on Saturday.
Despite heavy rain, lightning and thunder, the meeting continued for the $100,000 feature race which featured the return of Kawi, Perfect Fit and former Hong Kong star Packing Eagle, but it was Underthemoonlight that stole the headlines.
The daughter of El Hermano settled at the back of the field in what was a roughly-contested sprint, before pulling wide and coming with its trademark finishing burst to defeat Close Up ($16) and Kawi ($6.20).
After drawing barrier 13, jockey Cameron Lammas was under strict instruction from co-owner and stable representative Hamish McQuade to let it settle at the back of the field before producing in the straight.
“When the draw came out I nearly threw up,” Hamish McQuade said. “I told Cameron that we’ve got no option, just sit back and we know she can get home – she did it last year.”
Lammas did exactly that and he didn’t have to course wide in order to get clear running.
“I wanted to be midfield, but Hamish told me to let her drift out the back,” Lammas said. “I made up my mind with 600 metres to go that I wasn’t going too wide.
“She burst through the gap and kept going.”
Lammas was on board when winning by 3.5 lengths at Tauranga last start and he believes the spring prospect is only getting better with more race fitness.
“She’s stronger this time in, she’s tough and always gives 110 percent,” he said. “She deserves her chance now doesn’t she?
“She’s well in with a chance, especially with some moisture.”
Hamish McQuade couldn’t have been more confident post-race about Underthemoonlight’s chances in the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy on August 26, stating that he backed his runner earlier this week after pleasing track work.
“I was so pleased… she was at $27’s for the Tarzino, because after her work on Thursday I was on,” a jubilant McQuade said. “I still believe she can win a group one race and today she proved it.”
Punters can now get $11 with Bet365.com for Underthemoonlight in the Tarzino Trophy.
Having never won on a good or dead track, punters were quick to label the six-year-old as a wet tracker, but McQuade will be comfortable at Hawke’s Bay as long as the track comes up dead or worse.
“As long as it’s dead – this time of the year it’s fine,” he said. “There’s moisture in the ground, but come January/February, that will hurt her.
“I’ve seen her run 1:08.00 on a good 3 at Counties. I don’t have a problem with Hastings as long as there’s give in the ground.”
McQuade took a risk in buying Underthemoonlight, but it was a wise investment with the mare having won over $240,000 in stake money.
“We bought the mother. We didn’t have a dime to our name when we bought her,” McQuade explained. “Every bid I put in Karyn kicked me and said ‘who’s going to pay for this thing?’ but I said we’d work it out.
“We had to get the family back, we had Midnight Kiss and we went to El Hermano because we couldn’t afford Pins. We wanted to see the Pins/O’Reilly cross.
“It’s such a proud moment. We bred her, we own her, we train her and the rest is history.”
2017 Foxbridge Plate result
1st – Underthemoonlight ($7.90/$2.50)
2nd – Close Up ($4.30)
3rd – Kawi ($2.50)
Quinella – $65.60
Trifecta – $951.30
First Four – $11709.60