Racing is a cut-throat game and Daniel Moor admits he has done things he would normally not do to get a ride, especially around Spring Carnival time.
Out of respect for Jamie Kah, Craig Williams and Ethan Brown, all sidelined through recent falls, Moor chose not to get on the front foot in search for a ride in the $5 million All Star Mile and Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Moor is the replacement for the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained I’m Thunderstruck in the All-Star Mile with Kah ruled out following her fall at Flemington which left her with a heavy concussion.
Instead, the ride came about after Moor had a missed call from Price while having dinner with his family on Saturday night.
“We had a chat and he said, ‘I would like you to ride the horse’,” Moor said.
“I had a quick chat with Terry Henderson, who I have a good association with, and I said, ‘let’s not put the cart before the horse’, let’s see what happens with Jamie, but obviously I’m more than happy to be on standby, and that’s the way I went with it.
“Racing is a cut-throat game and you do have to do things that you don’t like doing, especially during spring and things like that to feather your own nest, but there was none of that here.
“Lauren, my wife, and I sat down and talked about. We’re friends with Jamie and we didn’t want to say she’s definitely not riding.
“We said to Mick, let’s not over-analyse it, we’ll just do whatever happens. If Jamie can ride him, then she’ll ride him, if not, I’ll jump on.”
Moor got to have his first ride on I’m Thunderstruck at Moonee Valley on Tuesday morning.
He said I’m Thunderstruck was a competitive horse early in the gallop, but the final half of Tuesday’s work was excellent.
Moor said he won’t be overawed by the occasion of jumping aboard one of the leading fancies in Saturday’s $5 million race.
“My son said to me it’s just like any other race, just with a bigger prize at the end of it,” Moor said.
“It was exciting to get the call up, but we’ll just put the game face on and get on with the week.
“We’ll come up with a plan. He has the right form and is versatile and I should be able to do what I want with him.
“He may not look a Moonee Valley horse, but this race can work as with the speed on he can blend into the race down the side and we know he will be strong late.”
