A comeback jumps jockey combined with Melbourne’s premier trainer and a horse with superior flat form to win the maiden hurdle at Sandown on Wednesday.
Proven stayer Macedonian was a class above in an impressive jumps debut in the Robert Fitzgerald Memorial Hurdle (3300m), giving trainer Peter Moody his first jumps win and providing Joseph Hateley with the perfect return after being out of the saddle for more than a decade.
Hateley, 34, left racing in 2002, travelled overseas and then five years ago took up ballet dancing.
His ballet career is “on pause” because of an injury but he had to leave straight after Wednesday’s win to go to his day job at the Australian Taxation Office.
Hateley has been back riding work for Moody and schooling horses and made the most of his chance on Macedonian, who won by 20 lengths.
“I’ve been away and had a look and have done other things, but it’s good to be back,” Hateley said.
He believes Macedonian is “top class” and has a bright future over the jumps.
Moody had previously had a handful of jumps starters but hadn’t been successful.
“We do school quite a few horses at Caulfield and inevitably they don’t end up racing (over the jumps). But this bloke was made for it,” Moody said.
