Falls Set Pace At The Valley
The Age
Wednesday January 27, 1999
After a day of nasty falls at Sandown and Elwick, the night meeting at Moonee Valley also started with an early sensation when Bendigo-trained two-year-old Easy Core crashed through the inside running rail shortly after the start of the first race.
Veteran jockey Ron Burgess, who came from Bendigo for just the one ride, was catapulted from Easy Core but seemed to escape serious injury. He had a few sore spots and was taken to hospital for X-rays and observation.
Easy Core tried to jump the running rail about 50 metres after the start but crashed through it and also escaped any apparent damage.
The race was won by Transparent Lover, who firmed from 10/1 to 8/1, a bargain buy at $7500 for Geelong trainer Ron Pearce and his brother Nicholas. Transparent Lover, by Clear Choice, has won at her only two starts and with last night's Super Vobis bonus, has earned more than $50,000 in prizemoney.
With Brett Prebble and Craig Williams out of action last night as a result of their falls at Sandown, the finish of the second race, the Helga's Handicap, was fought out by their replacement jockeys Peter Mertens and Jason Patton. Williams was replaced by Mertens on Fossato, who came with a late burst to overwhelm Prince Humble, ridden by Patton, in the last 50 metres.
It was a madcap race, seemingly with a prize for the horse who could run the fastest first 1200 metres, which set up the race for the backmarkers over the final 400. After the 11/4 favorite Ghataas set such a blistering early pace, it was hardly a surprise that he was a beaten horse before the home turn.
Fossato (5/1) won by a length and half from Prince Humble (11/1), with Lucky Enough (7/1) a head away third. Ghataas, who firmed from 3/1, finished last of the eight starters.
© 1999 The Age
