 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 2013
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
2013 GLENFERRIE FARM 2YO TROTTING STAKES
Lex and Heather Williams were having mixed emotions after the first foal from their outstanding trotting mare One Over Kenny - One Over Da Moon - had caused a minor upset in Saturday night's NZ 2yo Trotting Stakes at Addington.
While the result was far from any sort of complete surprise in an event which was expected to be dominated by the Mark Purdon-trained pair of Not About The Money and Daenerys Targaryen, after One Over Da Moon had gone a very good trial with David Butt driving for the first time at Motukarara the prior Monday, the Williams' couldn't be on had to see it. "We had to be at a relative's wedding in Dunedin, so that was all a bit of a disaster," said Lex.
Things had not gone exactly right for One Over Da Moon in two prior races, with greenness a not unexpected issue with these youngsters, but the small but strong chestnut colt gave a faultless display on this occasion. Butt was able to easily hold the lead from barrier one and after trotting along at an even 2:00 clip, One Over Da Moon held on to score by three parts of a length over Daenerys Targaryen with the rank outsider Trouble Rieu sticking on strongly for third.
Odds on favourite Not About The Money was fourth in a gap of four lengths after moving up to sit parked from the 1400m. "He was overracing - that's why I had to move up from the one-one," said Blair Orange. "He didn't settle at all and can do that, but he'll keep," he added.
Not About The Money's keenness pushed One Over Da Moon to a new race record of 2:26.2, which easily beat Habibti's 2:27.8 from last year. And it wasn't that far off Sheemon's track & NZ record of 2:25.5, set in last year's Sires Stakes in May.
Much of the credit for One Over Da Moon's success was being aimed at young Matt Purvis, who has been handling Paul Nairn's team while he was campaigning Stig in Australia and away for the best part of a month. Nairn only got back on Tuesday of last week, so had also missed the Mot trial. "When they were running along with quarters in 30, I wasn't sure if he was ready for that, but Davy (Butt) obviously had it figured out," said Nairn. Purvis, a son of John, has been working with Nairn for almost two years, after a prior stint with Greg Hope.
Nairn has had One Over Da Moon since he was broken in by John Versteeg. "He's always been a small but stroppy and strong colt. He has quite a bit of fold in his action, but he still has speed and can stay, so I think he could be alright." One Over Da Moon, from Majestic Son's first crop, as a result of shuttling, is an embryo transfer from a time when One Over Kenny was still racing, having missed that season in an attempt with Muscles Yankee's frozen semen.
One Over Kenny, the only trotting mare in Australasia to win over a million dollars, was still racing in Auckland when One Over Da Moon was born. She then visited Pegusus Spur and has a chestnut yearling colt by him called One Over Dover, but she missed last season to services by Muscles Yankee and The Pres, before going in foal this season to Love You.
Williams is excited by the prospect of a chestnut filly by him, but in the meantime, it is One Over Da Moon that will be providing all the excitement needed. He has a Sires Stakes Prelude at Addington on Friday week with the final a month later and then the Jewels. "He's also Breeders Crown eligible but I haven't spoken to Paul about that yet," said Lex. "In fact I haven't spoken to Paul about much at all, come to think of it," he added.
Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 4Apr13