The Mike Moroney stable was not unhappy to see the rain falling ahead of the Flemington Cup 1849.
A track that started as a soft 5 was downgraded to a soft 7 following The Good Fight’s win in Saturday’s 2800m staying test at Flemington.
The Good Fight was having his second start for the Moroney stable, but importantly came to the stable with the right credentials for Saturday’s race, a love of racing over a distance and wet tracks.
Ridden by Ben Melham, The Good Fight ($15) out-slogged Sydney raider Sweet Thomas ($6) by a half-length with Saunter Boy ($6.50) a further 3-½ lengths away third.
Trained by Shaune Ritchie in Zealand, The Good Fight was placed over 3200m on soft ground in the Wellington Cup last year and at his start prior to arriving in Australia won the Rotorua Cup on a heavy track.
After finishing eighth for Ritchie in the Winter Cup in Sydney last month, The Good Fight made his way to Moroney’s Melbourne stable and finished fifth over 2000m at Caulfield on June 26.
Melham had the ride that day and was quite impressed by the stayer’s performance.
“I thought he was good on the line and through the line the other day,” Melham said.
“He’s quite casual. He doesn’t have a lot of speed early and you can’t mess around with his racing pattern too much, so I let him be happy for the first half and when the rain came, it really suited him.
“He’s got form over these trips and the wet ground was really in his favour.”
Jack Turnbull, representing the Moroney stable, said Moroney had been keen to test The Good Fight over the extra ground after his first-up run for the stable at Caulfield.
Turnbull added there was no plans immediate for The Good Fight.
“We’re just keen to plot him through winter,” Turnbull said.
“He loves soft tracks and can stay.
“He has form over two miles and if we can find these similar races going forward, it will be good.”
