The Hawkesbury Race meeting held on 7th of March was one to remember as the hard work of the stable was rewarded with a winning double as BARE NAKED LADY and MOANA JEWEL found the winners stall on Provincial Championships Qualifier Day.
BARE NAKED LADY (Walking or Dancing x Nakedindaspa) put the Walking or Dancing bloodline in the map when she won the 2YO Inglis Challenge in Scone and since that day has continued to race at a high level throughout her racing career. She resumed at Hawkesbury after a good break and in a small field she was able to let down with a long, sustained run to motor through the heavy conditions in a slick 57.79. You need a lot of patience in this game and connections were rewarded as the 4YO mare recaptured the form that has seen her win almost $200,000 in prizemoney and perform at stakes level.
The Provincial Championships are hotly contested and to qualify for the final at Randwick you need a horse that has an electric turn of foot and the ability to work effectively under extreme pressure. We headed to the Hawkesbury edition on the 7th December with MOANA JEWEL (Ocean Park x Blue Rata Jewel) who had been racing consistently at metropolitan level but just couldn’t find the luck in running to break through. Jeff Penza was given the responsibility of ensuring safe passage and after finding the rail and putting her in a good rhythm we just needed the gap to appear to unleash the strong finish that she is quickly becoming renowned for. MOANA JEWEL worked through her gears beautifully as they straightened and at the 400m marker it appeared luck would go against her as she has presented with a wall of tiring horses. Appointing top class riders who can get the best out your horses is so important and Jeff showcased the patience required to wait and wait and wait for the field to break apart and over the final furlong she was able ton utilise the inside running to power through the line and secure a memorable win.
The Provincial Championships Final is held at Randwick on Day 2 of the Championships and the $500,000 in prizemoney can really change the lives of the supportive owners who follow the racing careers of their horses. MOANA JEWEL will take her place in the strong provincial field and all going well will be the one flashing late to put the Tracey Bartley Racing team on the main stage of racing in this country.
Photo: Hawkesbury Race Club
