They shared a unique journey through their association with champion Black Caviar and on Saturday at Rosehill, trainer Peter Moody and jockey Luke Nolen were back in the big time.
The pair combined to capture the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) with I Wish I Win, a horse plucked out of New Zealand with the modest goal of chasing a few Victorian county Cups.
Both trainer and jockey have had a chequered passage since the heady days of Black Caviar a decade ago, especially Moody, who stepped away from training for a time due to his dissatisfaction with Racing Victoria stewards over his disqualification in the cobalt case.
Being able to come back to Sydney and win the Golden Eagle, the third richest race in Australia behind only The Everest and Melbourne Cup, was a moment to savour for the laconic Queensland-born trainer, made moreso by sharing it with Nolen.
“It’s very special for me and him because it’s like the second coming for both of us,” Moody said.
“We have probably both been written off, rightly or wrongly, throughout our careers but it’s nice to know you can still get the job done.
“We’ve been down a long road, we’ve hit a few dry creeks between the two of us but that’s (about) 900 wins between trainer and jockey.
“Loyalty is not used widely these days so I’m pretty proud of that too.”
I Wish I Win ($8.50) was regarded as the second seed of Moody’s three Golden Eagle runners and was given a great ride by Nolen before launching down the outside to hit the front in a matter of bounds.
Relishing a return to firm ground, Fangirl ($12) emerged from the pack late and charged home, missing by a nose, with Gypsy Goddess ($12) also flashing to the line for third, another three-quarters of a length away.
The last time Nolen and Moody combined for a feature race win in Sydney was with Bring Me The Maid in the 2014 Silver Shadow Stakes and Nolen was rapt to be back in town in front of a 20,000-strong crowd.
“Really pleased, really rewarding and even more special I get to share it with ‘Moods’ (trainer Peter Moody),” Nolen said.
Moody described the emergence of I Wish I Win as “a revelation” and said the four-year-old had surpassed their expectations.
“We brought him over thinking there are a lot of nice mile country cups in Victoria and with all due respect, they’re worth more than the Group 1s in New Zealand,” he said.
“He has just continued to evolve and develop and here we are, the second biggest turf race in the world five months later.”
Along with training I Wish I Win, Moody also shares in the horse’s ownership.
He revealed the Golden Eagle winnings would help him pay for the stables he has just built at Pakenham – the first time in his 35-year training career he will have owned his operation outright.
International Light Infantry started a $5 favourite but jockey Jamie Spencer said he had a tale of woe after he was slow to jump then was held up in the run before finishing off stylishly for sixth.
