Bookmakers were smiling, and Jason Petch had good reason to join in, after the easy win of Weekend Special in the 1000 metres of the Aspen Handicap.

Petch, in fact, had better reason to smile than the bookies, as it was his first training success at Flemington, joining him was his wife, Lyn, and baby daughter, Lucy.

The gelding was the outsider in the field of nine after the late scratchings of Melba and Smoken Cash, resulting from a down grading of the track.

Weekend Special was never far away at any stage of the race, he began to apply the pressure 400 metres out, drawing right away in the concluding stages to win rather easily

Weekend Special runs away with the Aspen Handicap.

He has been pretty handy in most of his recent racing without winning, he is now putting it all together, while he holds his current form there is another win or two in the offering.

Petch has put together quite a workable training complex at Mornington; he has good facilities, just ideal for man and beast.

Weekend Special was a welcome return to city riding for young jockey Adam McCabe, he is not receiving the opportunities his ability deserves, he did nothing wrong on Weekend Special, 10 out of 10 sums it up well

Jason, Lucy and Lyn, satisfied wirh the win.

The Moloney clan were prominent at Flemington yesterday, with the success of Streets Of Seattle in the Gala Supreme Handicap, with the mare trained by John and ridden by his nephew Patrick.

It was a big occasion for Patrick coming off a double in Adelaide last Saturday, followed by his very first winner at the headquarters of racing, Flemington, a day he shall never forget.

The comment from trainer John, “ he rode her to perfection, he carried out instructions to the letter, a great ride”

A great compliment for a young man who can be richly proud of his heritage, which goes back four generations to his great grandfather Gerry. He trained from the house, with the red roof, overlooking the Hopkins River at Warrnambool; he won the Grand National Hurdle with Belar in 1933, ridden by Rupert McInnes.

Streets of Seattle winning by a whisker at Flemington

Grandfather Jim moved from Warrnambool to Epsom several years ago, where he had great pleasure in preparing Vain to win the Golden Slipper Stakes, when there was great rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney as to the better horse, Vain or Special Girl.

Vain in his customary role soon settled the issue, he won by four lengths at 4-1, the favourite, Special Girl, at 13-8 on finished fifth.

Jim didn’t relocate from Epsom, he now overlooks a housing estate that was once a racecourse.

The third generation of the Maloney’s still as strong a family as the walls of Jericho, John and Gerard share a stable complex on course at Caulfield, with a promising young apprentice, Patrick

Patrick Moloney had something to smile about

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The big wet didn’t hamper the speed of It’s Poets Day, nor dampen the spirits of her trainer, Emma Steele, with the impressive win in the Isca Handicap at Flemington.

This was her second city start, she ran unplaced at Moonee Valley after winning at Tatura.

All her previous form had been around slow to dead tracks, how she would handle a swimming contest was all left to providence.

The filly’s trainer, Emma Steele, admitting to being a bit bedraggled was in high spirits, this was her day and she was going to make the best of it, winning at Flemington is always a big occasion experience, irrespective of the weather.

It’s Poets Day commenced well and was never far away at any stage, she was carving up the centre of the track.

Nothing challenged the winner over the last couple of hundred metres, by then most would have been running on empty.

Emma, previously located at Freshwater Creek, near Geelong, changed direction three years ago moving the team to Berrigan, in the Riverina, once a thriving training centre it suits horses, they do well in that climate.

It’s Poets Day is by Dylan Thomas, a very good staying horse, included among his 10 wins was the Prix de’Arc de Triomphe and the Irish Derby, in all he won six Group1 races, yet not the sire you would expect to get a 1000 metres winner. 

It's Poets Day winning at Flemington 

Tomorrow’s Cranbourne race trials have been abandoned due to the lack of entries.

The trials that were scheduled on the synthetic track are proving unpopular with trainers, they don’t want to use it, preferring to trial on the grass track.

Several trainers believe the track is too hard and not maintained properly, no one seems to be accountable for what is a major problem.

If this situation continues racing will have a white elephant on its hands, and a costly one at that.

Werribee should never have raced on Wednesday, according to an experienced track walker who checked the track out the day previously.

Yet the meeting went ahead at a price of two horses having to be put down, and a young jockey, having his first ride in a race, spending time in hospital.

Surely we cannot continue to tolerate these sorts of incidents; someone has to be held responsible.

Whilst David Hayes skipped the races in preference for the footy to see his son, Ben, play a transistor was handy to check the results at Caulfield.

The win of Pago Rock, in the Sir John Monash, would have given him reason to smile, as did Bruno Rouge-Serret, the stable foreman who saddled up the gelding.

There was confidence about the stable that he would run well; he was in there with a big chance on recent form.

Punters obviously overlooked Pago Rock in preference to Happy Galaxy, Mrs Onassis and Zamorar, who were all preferred to him in betting.

The Bletchingly Stakes, also at weight for age, in two weeks at Caulfield, looks the logical for Pago Rock in his present form.

The filly, Elite Elle, looked as if she was going to pinch the affair, she led clearly on the turn, nothing was making any impression on her until Pago Rock appeared on the scene.

Happy Galaxy, a four times winner of his last five starts was sent out favourite he didn’t fire at any stage of the race, he was disappointing.

Much the same could be said of Mrs Onassis, she looked some chance when she loomed up wide out on the home turn, the effort thereafter was pretty ordinary, the trip from Rosehill didn’t pay expences.

Pago Rock wins Sir John Monash Stakes