Winning jockey Chris Symons saw the lighter side of a lengthy delay to the start of the Emsley Lodge Handicap at Moonee Valley.
The race for three-year-olds was run 12 minutes past the advertised starting time on Saturday and it was Symons’ mount Jessy Belle ($14) which came out on top.
“It was a race that started out as one for three-year-olds but ended up as four-year-old race by the time it got underway,” Symons said.
Jessy Belle winning the Emsley Lodge Handicap at Moonee Valley ridden by Chris Symons and trained by Luke Oliver - (photo by Steven Dowden/Race Horse Photos Australia)
But it was worth the wait for the winner as she collected $60,000 in prize money and $30,000 in bonuses.
The pre-race drama unfolded when Pole Paradise threw a shoe at the barrier and needed the services of a farrier.
After 10 minutes the horses were led into the gates but then the Peter Moody-trained Dig A Pony reared awkwardly, turning itself around inside the barrier.
Dig A Pony was scratched.
When the race finally got underway, Symons had Jessy Belle positioned three back behind the early leaders.
She moved up easily to Magnesia ($8) before winning by a half length.
In her bid for four successive wins, Kiss Me Ketut ($4) finished three-quarters length away third.
Trainer Luke Oliver said Jessy Belle was often underestimated but she kept getting the job done.
He will give her a freshen up and then look towards the autumn with a possible start in the South Australian Oaks.
