Love At First Sight: Colt's Debut Win For Moraitis

Sun Herald

Sunday January 27, 2008

By John Schell

BIG-TIME owner Nick Moraitis was in raptures yesterday when Dubai To Sydney, a horse he was setting eyes on for the first time, gave John Hawkes his first city winner since splitting as trainer for Bob Ingham's Crown Lodge.

Moraitis is best known as the owner of former champion Might And Power, which won the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double in 1997 before winning the Cox Plate the following year.

The fruit and vegetable king shelled out $525,000 for Dubai To Sydney, a colt by Dubai Destination, at the Easter yearling sale but never bothered looking at the horse.

"This is the first time I have looked at him and he is an impressive type," Moraitis said.

Dubai To Sydney ($2.30) had just responded to jockey Jim Cassidy's strong riding to score by a half-head over Typhoon Fury ($6), with 31/2 lengths to Coniston Bluebird ($20) in third place.

"I sent a couple of fellas out to the sale for me and they liked the look of him, so that's how I bought him.

"He's made a good start to his career so I hope he can go on with the job now. John [Hawkes] has a good opinion of him."

Hawkes left his post as the boss of Ingham's Warwick Farm stable in November, leaving foreman Peter Snowden to take over.

Hawkes is now based at Rosehill as well as having stables at Flemington, and he prepares a number of horses for Moraitis - including AJC Australian Derby winner Fiumicino.

"It makes me happy to give Johnny his first city winner since he's set up on his own," Moraitis said. "And there will be many more to come."

Moraitis paid tribute to the 45-year-old Cassidy who had to call on all of his vigour to lift Dubai To Sydney to victory. Cassidy was Might And Power's regular rider.

"Jimmy is a great jockey," Moraitis said. "It is good to see him going so well. He has been getting out to Rosehill to ride a bit of work for Hawkesy and it's good to combine for a winner with him again.

"The horse fought on well to the line when he was challenged and having a good, strong, experienced rider like Jimmy on top helped.

"I liked the way the horse showed ticker today. It all looks good for the future."

He said Fiumicino, which had his cups campaign aborted last spring because of the equine influenza crisis, would have a couple of runs in Melbourne this autumn in preparation for a crack at the spring riches.

"John will give him a couple of starts in Melbourne so he can learn to go that way of going," he said. "He has only ever raced the Sydney way so far."

Debut colt Dance At Midnight ($3.50) flopped behind Dubai To Sydney, with jockey Blake Shinn declaring that the Graeme Rogerson-trained two-year-old "is a nice horse".

"Mentally, he's just not there yet," Shinn said. "He got a bit playful in the gates and just doesn't know what things are about yet."

The David Hayes-prepared plunge horse Shaygar ($8 into $4.60) was a beaten horse shortly after straightening and weakened to finish last.

Bede Murray's Coniston Bluebird (Tim Clark) ran on well from the back and could pay to follow.

© 2008 Sun Herald

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