It was a case of first time lucky for Nick Hall who rode improving stayer Jelly Baby to a last-stride win in the $75,000 Centrebet Stayers Final at Bendigo.
Hall, having his first ride on the Mike Moroney-trained mare in the 2400m event, let the $3.30 favourite settle back in the 14-horse field from barrier three.
But he had trouble getting a split in the straight before Jelly Baby burst through late to score by a half-neck from A Roddick Moment ($14) who looked as though he had the race won.
High Kingczar ($17) was a neck away third.
“She went really well, she went though the middle and was very brave and strong,” Hall said.
“I just had to bide my time until a run came so I made sure I had her on the bit so that when a run came she was able to sprint.”
“She’s really on the up. They’ve just got to be careful how many runs they give her this time in so that they have a horse for next preparation.”
The four-year-old daughter of Australian Cup winner Istidaad has raced 13 times for three wins with Saturday’s victory being her first in a metropolitan-class event.
It was her second successive win over 2400m at Bendigo having won a Showcase 0-72 with Luke Nolen aboard on March 4.
Earlier, former New Zealand galloper Gottino maintained his unbeaten record since being bought by Ballarat trainer Ken Moore when he took out the Fitzpatrick’s Home Hardware Hcp (1600m).
Moore, who won the 1990 Duke Of Norfolk Stakes (3200m) – now known as the Andrew Ramsden Stakes – with Lord Westminster, has only one horse in work at a time.
He explained that his son, Melbourne bloodstock agent Shane Moore, negotiated a deal with Brent Gillovic of Highview Stud in New Zealand to buy the four-year-old Johar gelding who had won two races from 13 starts.
Gottino completed a winning hat-trick for Moore having won a Ballarat 0-58 (1400m) when resuming on February 24 and a Bendigo 0-68 (1600m) on March 4.
Ridden by Jason Benbow, Gottino ($3.20 fav) got up to score by a half-length from Set The Course ($8) in the Rating 0-72 event with Hurdy Gurdy Man ($5.50) the same margin away third.
