Apprentice, Regan Bayliss received the accolades from his master, leading trainer Peter Moody, after a very competent ride in winning on Kenjorwood .

Times have really changed, the junior riders are receiving opportunities they had not enjoyed previously as best illustrated in a field of nine runners five were ridden by apprentice jockeys.

Young Bayliss gave his mount, Kenjorwood, the run of the race, perched up close to leaders before releasing brakes 800 metres out.

The tactics, catch me if you can, were never more apparent, Kenjorwood won with a full head of steam, the issue was a foregone conclusion a long way out.

Moody gave the lad great credit for the ride saying, “ he is a bright young talent, hope he keeps a level head and continues developing as a rider, he is getting the job done at this point of time and he used his weight claim to advantage.”

Kenjorwood went into the race, be it at the provincials, it was a deserving win as he had run seven seconds among his previous 19 starts.

Count Encosta was placed at Moonee Valley last Saturday, and was running on nicely again without ever troubling the winner.

Kenjorwood ridden by Regan Bayliss 

Warwick Farm trainer, Joe Pride, pulled the right rain when he elected to bypass the Missile Stakes at Royal Randwick with Tiger Tees, and come to Flemington for the Aurie’s Star Handicap down the straight six.

It was just a flying visit; the gelding was due to return to his Sydney stable sometime over the weekend, with no promises of a return trip at this stage.

Those that had backed him were on the edge of their seats for much of the race, he looked vulnerable; it was only the skill, and excellent ride of Damian Oliver, that saw his winning number posted in the frame.

Tiger Tees is a syndicated horse, like most are these days, while Joe Pride was not present he had a worthy substitute in one of the syndicate members, an excited Neil Couper explained, “the gelding has performed well down here on a couple of previous occasions, he has been a fabulous horse for us, he has now won 12 races from 28 starts and has broken the million dollar barrier in stake earnings,” he added.

Crackerjack King was an interesting runner with an uncertain future, he was having his first start for two years since finishing fifth of nine runners in the Arlington Million, over 2000 metres run in Chicago

Tiger Tees with Damian Oliver up winning the time honoured Aurie's Star.

Once bitten twice shy, that quote hardly worked out at Moonee Valley on Saturday when punters backed up for another serve of Lord Of The Sky, again at odds on, and received another poor effort for their money.

He needs for everything to go his way to do his best; if he is taken on in the lead he doesn’t show a great deal of heart.

The ultimate winner, Our Nkwazi, showed little interest in proceedings, he didn’t even want to go to the barrier; all he wanted to do was dig his heels in and not move.

Finally they got him to the start, and to the surprise of many, he jumped away with the field from the outside gate.

The favourite, Lord Of The Sky, was beaten for early pace by Siwa Lady, he did lead at one stage but it was only for a fleeting moment, he was soon a beaten horse.

It was left to Our Nkwazi, who was finishing well, to get up in the last possible stride to snatch victory in a three way photo finish.

The aged gelding is by Arazi, at one stage of his career he was the best two year old in the world, winning seven of his eight starts.

Which included the Breeders Cup Jevenile, Grand Criterium , Prix de la Salmandre and the Prix Morny, all at Group1 level, his entire seven wins were all Black Type races, he got to 1600 metres but the 2000 metres of the Prix du Prince d’Orange at Longchamp found him out, he finished second.

Our Nkwazi on the outside getting up in the last stride 

There is sure to be a nice race awaiting Nordic Prince in the Spring after his convincing first up win at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

He is a lightly raced colt with a lot of potential, he has never been overtaxed, two runs in the early Summer, missed the Autumn, everything is now beginning to fall into place.

Mick Price can be a bit reserved in summing up the prospects of his horses but there were positive signs seen at the Valley.

The colt was never far off the leaders at any stage, once Craig Newitt popped the question the answer was immediate, he scored by a length and three quarters.

The Caulfield Guineas would be pencilled in, that is a logical thought, whether he would get the trip of 1600 metres remains to be seen.

His is by Wilander, a horse with an explosive source of speed when trained by Lee Freedman; he was destined for a great future as a sire but sadly proved in fertile.

Nordic Prince is one of the few foals to represent Wilander when he originally stood his first season in 2010 at Sam Hayes’s Cornerstone Stud, a part of the old Lindsay Park property at Angaston in South Australia

Nordic Prince - A promising Spring colt.

Down The Hatch was on trial at Moonee Valley on Saturday to see which direction she was likely to take in the immediate future.

She gave a pretty good account of herself in the National Jockeys Celebration Day Handicap, when she was always handy to the leader, TizsoWicke, before drawing away to an impressive win.

As far as her trainer, Robbie Griffiths is concerned, he will press on with her, she has taken the next step from a Sale Maiden two year old race to city company.

Her trainer commented she was on the small side and that is true, yet she still showed plenty of heart when challenged on the home turn.

The Sale run was an educational exercise with a small field of just six runners, she was not going to get knocked about much and it helped to build her confidence when she met a much larger field.

Down The Hatch was passed in as a yearling for $50,000, her breeder, Kevin Wacey, decided to race her himself when she didn’t reach the reserve.

She will now be given the chance to step up to better class races as she progresses, there are quite a few nice races that would suit her coming along.

Down The Hatch with Josh Cartwright up