Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Five-year-old New Zealand-bred pacer Moonlite Drive has been more than a handy pacer for Mundijong trainer Michael Young since arriving in Western Australia this year — and now Young is looking forward keenly to racing the gelding’s half-brother Serious Moonlite.
Four-year-old Serious Moonlite arrived in WA just over three months ago and after a spell he is now ready to make his Australian debut. He contested a 2150m Byford trial on Sunday morning, and after racing in fifth position in an Indian file affair, he finished strongly and was not extended in running second to his stablemate and pacemaker Ideal Tomato.
Serious Moonlite has raced 25 times for four wins, seven placings and $41,405. Earlier this year he was a winner at successive starts at Addington, over 2600m and 1980m.
Moonlite Drive was having his third start after a spell when he was the $2.70 favourite from the No. 2 barrier in the 2130m Westral Roller Shutters Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was handled by Kyle Symington, who celebrated his first drive in a race for the Young stable by guiding the Bettors Delight gelding to an all-the-way win at a 1.57.7 rate. He just held on to score by a nose from the $23 chance Platinum Sparkle, who had begun very fast from out wide at barrier eight, led by three-quarters of a length early but was unable to cross Moonlite Drive.
After Moonlite Drive had withstood this challenge, Stuart McDonald restrained Platinum Sparkle and was able to obtain the one-out, one-back position behind the breeze horse Dont Bother Me None ($3.80). McDonald switched Platinum Sparkle three wide at the 300m and the four-year-old Justin Prentice-trained mare finished with great determination.
“It got a bit stressful close to the line,” admitted Symington. “However, he went good; he had to run the gate hard early and also ran home in 56.4sec., so it was a pretty good performance.”
Young was pleased with the win, but said he thought the gelding would have won more easily. “Maybe I didn’t have him a hundred per cent right,” he said. “But he was still able to get the job done.”
Moonlite Drive has earned $109,584 from 11 wins and 16 placings from 51 starts. He won once from four starts as a four-year-old in New Zealand and his 31 Victorian starts produced four wins and seven placings. He has raced 16 times in WA for six wins and seven placings.
Moonlite Drive is out of the Christian Cullen mare Miss Moonlite, who earned $184,249 from 13 wins and 14 placings from 67 starts. The best of her wins was in the Group 1 $100,000 Breeders Crown for four-year-old mares at Melton in August 2012.