Dale Moore gets a big thrill out of achieving minor placings so when the Thames conditioner trained his first career winner he was on such a natural high he didn’t expect to be deprived a meal.
A couple of hours after Awa Cathrine won the last race at the Manawatu meeting last night (Thursday) Moore bowled into a Palmerston North hamburger joint only to be told the doors were about to be closed.
“I even had my driving gears on but Robyn (wife) said I should still go in and get a meal to celebrate the win. But, no we got locked out and were told to go through the drive-through.
“That’s when I thought about the charmed life horsemen have. It was quite ironic really and it wasn’t that late. We still ate but it was a liitle bit of a come down,”Thames-based Moore joked.
Up until two years ago Moore ran the family business in Thames – Stuart Moore Motors, named after his father and co-owner of Awa Cathrine. Moore and his wife own the other two thirds of the 7-year-old Continentalman mare nicknamed ‘Billy the B….’.
“The last couple of years I’ve tried to involve myself more in harness racing. I’m working two at the moment but it’s been so hard to get work into them with this weather.
“Last night was a huge thrill. The phone hasn’t stopped. Dad, who is 84, had three beers when she placed on the first day and then he rang me all emotional when she won last night. It was a big deal for all of us and I’ll be dropping in to see him on my way back to Thames for another beer,” Moore said.
“I won’t forget this in a hurry,” the 56-year-old said.
He said Manawatu had been good to him.
“Eleven years ago we came down here and placed with Semaj at Palmerston North the first day and then on the second day he won the Manawatu Cup. That was a memorable day too, but this training success is special,” Moore said.
Moore drove $8.90 fifth favourite to a nose victory in last night’s $6,000 Peter Sinclair Photography Handicap for the up to R49 trotters.
It was his fourth win in the sulky after reining Semaj to victory twice in 2005 at Manawatu and Cambridge, and then Jabal Akdar at Cambridge in 2009.
“I’ve held licenses since the late 1980s. Dad used to drive in the early days and then when he got older I took over the driving from about 1993 on and he did the training.
“I think I first held reins in my hand when I was 10 but over the years the family business was a priority and the horses came second. My son still works at the garage but I have more time for the horses these days,” Moore said.
He said he wanted to pay a tribute to his father and 96-year-old fellow Thames resident Bill Darrah.
“If it wasn’t for Dad’s influence I don’t think I would have ever driven or trained standardbreds. As for Bill well he’s my inspiration too. He had too many horses and we paid $6,000 for the mare which he bred. I had the pick of a couple.
“I liked Awa Cathrine when I saw her and I wanted a horse to start from scratch with. I also knew that her mother Iwi Alex was mare who won 10 races and just over $100,000, so she had the bloodlines. I’ve now got two in work,” said Moore.
Moore and Awa Cathrine stepped beautifully from their two draw and led until the 1000m when they handed up to Helen Shapiro and Jay Abernethy.
In the lane they came outside the pace-maker and wound up late to nail Helen Shapiro right on the line. The winning time for the 2500m stand was 3:25.1 (mile rate 2.12 even) with final 800m and 400m sprints of 67.1 and 34.5.
“I knew when Jay come around he was serious about winning so I thought if I bided my time behind him until the home straight I thought the mare might have the sprint to get over the top of them.
“She’s a moody buggar at the best of times but last night she was full of herself. Totally different to when we campaigned her at Taranaki in the winter,” said Moore.
“She’ll line up again at Cambridge next week,” he added.
Only six races were carded last night with six different winning trainers and drivers.
Duane Ranger
