Comeback sprinter Mornington Glory notched the biggest win of his career and provided a former jumps jockey with a maiden training Gr1 success in Saturday’s A$750 000 AJ Moir Stakes run over 1000m at Moonee Valley.
The outstanding short course performer, momentarily retired due to a heart complaint after a handful of high class runs, provided his trainer Gavin Bedggood with a historic big race win in the feature.
Ethan Brown drives Mornington Glory to Grade 1 success on Saturday (Pic – Magic Millions)
“I’m pretty good, I felt a bit of pressure last time, but I was pretty comfortable coming here today.”
“We were the underdog and he seems to always be that way,” Bedggood reported.
“He took bad luck out of the equation today. He’s begun really well his last two starts and he jumped a half in front of them today.”
“There was no instruction to lead, but Browny just used his initiative and went with the horse and the rest is history.”
“I wanted to draw two, three, four, give us options, but one was better than nine. So I was pretty happy.”
Mornington Glory started his career with his yearling sale co-buyer Matt Laurie before finding his way to his new stable after his health issue as a ‘project’.
“It nearly didn’t happen, he was retired this horse and as I said last time, these owners throwing me a bone (is appreciated). It’s a great ownership group and they’ll party hard tonight, no doubt.”
“I had a great career riding over the jumps and loved it and I still love following the jumping races but we just do what we can with whatever horses get thrown our way,” Bedggood summed up.
The win was the fourth at Gr1 level for hard working and hugely talented rider Ethan Brown. He won a pair of Group Ones on Snapdancer and another on Smokin’ Romans in a Turnbull Stakes.
“He was presented here in terrific order,” a beaming Brown said. “He drew gate one and he flew the lids and just had an easy time of it.”
“(He was) fit, well. I was the beneficiary of a well-prepared horse for a great bunch of owners.”
“I’m very over the moon. It’ll take a while to sink in but, as I said, there’s a great bunch of owners in this horse.”
“It’s terrific to get a Group One win for Gav, it’s his first. (It’s) capped off what was a challenging day,” Brown added. “I’m so rapt.”
Mornington Glory was the top seller at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale when he was offered by Gooree Park Stud as agent for the Estate of the Late Eduardo Cojuangco.
He was snapped up by Laurie in conjunction with leading bloodstock agents Justin Bahen and Andrew Williams for A$360 000 when offered as the last lot in the sale as a supplementary.
Interestingly he is the second Group One winner offered as part of the Gooree Park Stud Reduction that week in 2020. The Chris Munce trained Tattersall’s Tiara winner Palaisipan was an A$40 000 buy from the same draft.
A son of Invincible Spirit’s Middle Park Stakes winning son Shalaa, Mornington Glory is a blue blooded gelding.
He is one of ten winners, from ten to race, for the former explosive juvenile Crowned Glory – a Gr3 winner at two at Flemington and runner-up to the spectacular Belle Du Jour in a Golden Slipper.
A daughter of Danehill, Crowned Glory is from a Bletchingly half sister to Gr1 winner Baryshnikov and champion New Zealand sire Zabeel.
At stud Crowned Glory was a sensation for Gooree Park Stud. She is a 100 per cent winner producer who is the dam of Group One winners Mornington Glory and Hallowed Crown and Group winning sire Needs Further.
Incredibly none of the eleven foals produced by Crowned Glory before retirement were fillies.
Saturday’s win in the feature Moonee Valley sprint was the third straight victory in the race for a sprinter sold through the famous Gold Coast Yearling Sale ring. The previous two winners of the Moir were multi-million dollar mares Imperatriz and Coolangatta.
- Winner: Mornington Glory
- Breeding: Shalaa-Crowned Glory (Danehill)
- Race: Gr1 MVRC AJ Moir Stakes (1000m)
- Sold for: A$360 000
- Sale: 2020 Gold Coast National Yearling Sale
- Earnings: A$993 600
- Breeder: Gooree Park Stud Pty Ltd
- Vendor: Gooree Park Stud (Estate of the Late Eduardo Cojuangco)
- Buyer: Matt Laurie Racing/Bahen B’stock/Andrew Williams B’stock
- Owners:Mrs S Cummings, Mrs ALK Andrews, S Gilbert, Mrs SL Gilbert, S Crawford, MT Tripp, FD Brown, RA Ford, AFM Panozzo, BJ Ratten & DJ Foster
- Trainer: Gavin Bedggood (Cranbourne)
