WHEN talented jockey Kim Moore reflects on her riding career many years down the track she will no doubt look proudly at the feats she achieved but none more than her win aboard Royal Miswaki in the $20,000 Deloraine Cup at Tapeta Park Spreyton yesterday.
Moore is best-known as a competent jumps rider but when that mode of racing ended in Tasmania seven years ago she was left with trackwork riding and the occasional ride in a flat race.
The loss of jumps racing ultimately led to a lengthy stint on the sidelines for the talented rider.
But when hurdle and steeplechase racing was an intrinsic part of Tasmanian racing up until 2005 Easter Monday was traditionally Grand National Day with the hurdle and steeple run over natural fences on the Deloraine circuit.
In 2001 Moore won the Grand National Hurdle aboard River Boy and the Grand National Steeple on Stockton and she also won the last Grand National Steeple hurdle aboard Jumbo in 2005 which was the last held before the track was closed for racing.
Moore has only limited opportunities these days and yesterday’s triumph was one to savor.
Royal Miswaki is a known barrier rogue and it was Moore’s handling of the mare that led to trainer Michael Trinder rewarding her with the ride in the Cup.
“I ride the mare in trackwork and the connections were loyal enough to let me ride in the race,” Moore said.
“It’s my biggest win on the flat – it’s been a great day,” she said.
Trinder has prepared Royal Miswaki for seven starts for five wins but that is in stark contrast to the form she showed prior to arriving at his stables.
After Royal Miswaki won the Alpha Bowl on debut as a two-year-old in 2009 she went almost two years without another win.
“She’s a good horse – she has a lot of ability,” Moore said.
Royal Miswaki was given a gun run by Moore who had the mare handily placed throughout and when she asked the four-year-old daughter of Tough Speed to extend nearing the home turn she accelerated quickly and went on to score by over four lengths from Wallis with Can Get Thirsty almost a length astern.
Moore will continue to ride trackwork for Trinder but now that she has been able to get her weight under control she hopes to chase more rides.
“I’ve got my weight down and I’ll start ringing around for a few more rides from now on,” she said.
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