Eight months after opening stables at Rosehill, Gary Moore has landed his first city win with two-year-old Takedown.
A seven-time premiership winning jockey in Hong Kong and crowned champion trainer in Macau eight times, the son of legendary jockey George Moore returned to Sydney in August.
He celebrated a feature win when Takedown claimed the Black Opal Stakes in Canberra earlier this month but his victory in Saturday’s The Schweppervescence at Rosehill proved even more significant.
“It’s my first win in the city this time around,” Moore said.
“I’m pumped. We got great exposure today.
“We’ve come back from Macau, people probably thought we couldn’t do it.”
Moore seriously considered running Takedown in the Wellington Boot on Sunday but banked at least $30,000 more by opting to stay in Sydney.
Kerrin McEvoy bounced the youngster to the front in the 1400m race and after shaking off Godolphin colt Inner Circle at the top of the straight, Takedown ($8) was never seriously challenged.
He scored by 1-1/4 lengths from Street Rapper ($6.50) with Mine Two ($13) another half-length away.
Moore hasn’t ruled out a seven-day back-up into the Group One Sires’ Produce Stakes on day one of The Championships, given the absence of Golden Slipper winner Vancouver.
But he says the Champagne Stakes two weeks later is more likely.
Godolphin bounced back in the second race when Medcaut scored a first-up win.
Trainer John O’Shea said the four-year-old would be aimed towards the Hawkesbury and Scone Cups.
