3 minute read
A brief look back on some of the other races at Sandown on a December Saturday.
First city winner for Reece Goodwin
Young trainer Reece Goodwin notched a training career milestone with Never Again ($6) providing him with his first metro winner in the Ladbrokes Switch Handicap (2400m).
A popular picnic circuit jockey in his time in the saddle, Goodwin has had what father Barry described post-race as a 'terrific year'.
A proud and emotional dad, Barry described how "enormous winning this race is" for his son.
Significantly, Reece had to enjoy the moment from afar as he was taking two other stable runners to the provincial meeting at Wangaratta.
Life Lessons for Moody
"Winners win, don't they," Peter Moody said after Life Lessons put three wins together after taking out the Ladbrokes Market Control Handicap (1400m).
It has been a perfect preparation for the four-year-old mare after winning her maiden at Moe on November 7 and following up at Sandown a fortnight later.
"You just have to keep the smile on their face and try not to train them," he said.
"We're keeping her happy and she's really enjoying that."
Showing an impressive turn-of-foot after coming out of the 'dip' of the Sandown Hillside straight, Moody says that steeping out to a mile is likely.
"She stepped cleaner today, that takes luck out of the equation and to know that she can quicken like that it is going to help you win more than you get beat."
Right You Are's satisfying win
Six-year-old Right You Are ($5) won the Ladbrokes Same Race Multi Handicap (1800m) to break winning drought going way back to July 2020 and at the same time provided the Ciaron Maher and Dave Eustace stable with a satisfying training effort in bringing the gelding back to racing after a career threatening suspensory ligament injury.
"He's been a huge team effort, this horse," stable representative Lucy Yeomans said.
"We thought it was a career ending injury but we rehabbed him with lots of ice and treadmilling to get him back to his best.
"Back on a firm track today and blinkers on, it all fell into place."
Kettle Hill surprises, too
Maher and Eustace also stepped UK-import Kettle Hill out for the first time in Australia and Yeomans said that jockey Matthew Cartwright was 'devastated' that he six-year-old wasn't able to weave his way through to win the Quayclean Handicap taken out by Savannah Cloud.
Hampered for room for much of the straight, Kettle Hill missed the placings for the third time in his nine start career but still surprised the stable with the 'explosive speed' that he hadn't yet shown at home.
Quote of the day
"I drink XXXX," Peter Moody told a punter over the fence after being congratulated on Life Lessons' win and finding out that said punter had backed the mare who scored at $4.40.
