Robbie Laing has no thoughts of retiring handy wet-tracker Maquina to stud following her second city success at Moonee Valley.
The seven-year-old mare, a three-quarter sister to Australian Cup and Toorak Handicap winner Roman Arch, had not won since scoring on a heavy track at Sandown last November and appreciated the dead 5 surface on Saturday.
Maquina winning the Corporate Interiors Australia Handicap at Moonee Valley - photo by Race Horse Photos Australia
Sent out at $4.60 in the Corporate Interiors Australia Hcp (1500m), Maquina gave apprentice Katelyn Mallyon her second city winner when she scored by 2-1/2 lengths from Limerock ($4.40 fav) with Dashalot ($11) a short-half-head away third.
Laing said Maquina had plenty of ability and her record would be a lot better but for getting tangled up in a wire fence as a yearling.
“She nearly tore both her back legs off and it took her a while to get to the races and then she developed the habit of missing the kick by 100 metres,” said the trainer.
“She’s getting there. She’s seven years of age and right at her peak now and well on the way to winning $200,000 for us.”
The chestnut mare, raced by Laing and his wife Rachel under the Double RL Syndicate banner, may have one more run before a spell and coming back for next winter.
Maquina has won three races and been placed in 11 of her 39 starts for $156,094 in prizemoney.
She was placed in last year’s Listed Summoned Stakes (1500m) at Sandown, a race she ran fourth in last Saturday.
AAP TURF