Winning Horse: The Good Fight (Nz)

6yoG High Chaparral (Ire) - Pravda (NZ)(Zabeel (NZ))

32 starts - 5 wins 7 seconds 5 thirds 2 fourths $320649

Black Type Wins

1st G3 Arawa Park Rotorua Cup 2200m (2021)

Black Type Placings

2nd G3 Trentham Wellington Cup 3200m (2020)

3rd G3 Ellerslie Skycity City Of Auckland Cup 2400m (2020)

3rd LR Awapuni Marton Cup 2200m (2021)

3rd LR Riccarton Park Metropolitan Trophy 2500m (2020)

Other Wins

1st Te Rapa Cal Isuzu (Bm82) 1400m (2019)

1st Te Rapa Pathways Immigration (Bm72) 2400m (2018)

1st Te Aroha Donaghys Pro-Equine Mdn 1400m (2018)

Race Result:

1st: The Good Fight (B Melham/M Moroney) - $15

2nd: Sweet Thomas (C Williams/M Smith) - $6
3rd: Saunter Boy (H Coffey/C Maher & D Eustace) - $6.50

Winning Time: 2:02.14 Last 600m: 38.28

Margins: 1/2L x 3-1/2L

Winning Trainer: Mike Moroney (Jack Turnbull interviewed)

On the success they’ve had bringing over New Zealand stayers: “It certainly does. He had the one run for us here (Melbourne). It was good, he hit the line solid and Mike (Moroney) was pretty keen to step him up quickly. He has relished the conditions today.”

Future plans: “We’re just keen to plot him through winter. 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.”

Winning Jockey: Ben Melham

Did you anticipate the distance rise would be to his favour: “Without a doubt. I thought he was good on the line and through the line the other day. 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. 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.”

Jamie Kah on South Pacific ($2.15 fav, finished seventh)

“He was disappointing. He got forced out of his comfort zone early when the pressure came on.”