 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1994
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
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| David Moss winning the Dominion from Call Me Now |
Someone as far away as Norway was tuning in to David Moss' delightful winning performance in the $100,000 DB Draught Superquad Dominion Handicap.
Part owner Captain Oddvar Andersen of Oslo managed to make the trip last year to watch his champion square-gaiter win the two mile feature but this time settled for the second best option. "Captain was ringing my brother Alistair in Auckland tonight to listen to the commentary," said John Cox whose late father Harry shared in the ownership of David Moss with Captain Andersen.
David Moss posted a NZ record when trotting the 3200m in 4:06.6 - 0.8 of a second inside Idle Scott's time achieved in 1992. He came with a big stayers finish in the straight to get past a gallant pace-making Call Me Now who fought all the way to the line. Breton Abbe was not far away in third placing after enjoying the trail. Diamond Field lost his chance at the start when breaking for Tony Herlihy.
Cox did the initial training of David Moss before handing the 11-year-old on to Bob Cameron at the end of October. The veteran of the field along with Game Paul (fourth), David Moss has an abundance of determination and sheer guts. He is unreal," said Cox. "He is all heart - it's the mark of a true champion. This was better than last year's effort." Captain Andersen and Cox discussed David Moss' future earlier this year. "We decided that everything from this season onwards is a bonus," said Cox. "Captain said that if he ever started to struggle we would retire him so he could finish on top."
The preparation of David Moss this time in has been a difficult task with the 'hamstring' muscle on his hind leg taking more time than expected to heal. It was an injury that forced him out of the Rowe Cup in May. "He would have gone up to Bob's stable earlier if he had been more forward," said Cox. "He had a few problems early on and it has been a bit of a worry. Bob has done a beautiful job with him and topped him off well."
Cameron drove David Moss in his second start this campaign at Gore on October 27. "He didn't feel 100% when I drove him at Gore," said Cameron who guided him to victory in last year's Dominion Handicap. "We have since made a few alterations to his shoeing to get him more balanced."
Maurice McKendry was the successful driver behind David Moss and enjoyed his first win in the race after some close placings in previous years.
David Moss became the first horse to win back to back Dominion Handicaps since Durban Chief did so in 1957-8. The Gekoj gelding will be prepared for a tilt at the Inter-Dominions at Addngton in March. "I was talking to Bob before the race and he is likely to stay with him now through to the Inter-Dominions," said Cox. David Moss has now won 27 races including two Dominion Handicaps and a Rowe Cup taking his earnings to $433,485. He was beaten a neck by Night Allowance in the Inter-Dominion Grand Final at Alexandra Park in 1993.
Credit: Philip O'Connor writing in HRNZ Weekly