While punters were licking their wounds after the dismal failure of the first favourite, it looked as if they were going to suffer the same fate when Klishini, in the second race, was giving away four lengths to Headless entering the straight.

To her credit Klishini never gave up, she was finishing resolutely, overhauling Headless in the shadows of the post to take out the thick end of the prize by a short half head.

She was entitled to be favourite as there was quite some sound form around her having won well at Mornington; she has now recorded five wins from 14 starts.

Klishini’s pedigree suggests she should get further than the 1000 metres of the Alternative Railway Handicap.

You would expect 1600 metres at least, but that is not happening, all her winning form has been at 1000 metres.

She is by Purrealist, he proved handy winning two of five starts, he was retired as a three year old to take up stud duties at his owner’s property near Geelong.

He is a half brother to John O’Shea’s grey gelding, Racing To Win, a sound miler winner of the Doncaster Handicap and Epsom Handicap, his wins also included the All Aged Stakes, earning $3,348,300 in prizemoney.

Klishini winning at Moonee Valley

Figures Don’t Add Up

At the beginning of each jumping season we get the message of how many horses are trialling, but the figures don’t add up on race days, the fields still remain small.

Bendigo, a super race track, as good as you will get outside of a capitol city, two races last Sunday, each of $100,000, five runners in the hurdle and four in the steeple, hardly a roaring success.

Nothing has changed, jumps racing is not a good betting medium, and never will be in the present climate.

Until such time there are sufficient runners to encourage each way betting it will not change, it has lost its way through adverse publicity.

Kennett Calls For Less Racing

Former Premier, Jeff Kennett, calls for less racing, it is not likely to be heeded, nor can it be the way our current racing model is structured.

Racing has changed, it is now seven days a week, and two meetings on the same day, has become a regular to meet the required budget.

An abandoned race meeting was never much of a concern formerly that has all changed with the advent of off course betting, it puts a severe dent in the budget.

With seven days racing trainers are constantly under the pump, telling yarns in the early morning around the old stripping sheds, that is long gone, time is money.

All the older trainers have disappeared, with the required pace of today they would never have coped with syndication and necessary office requirements.

Training is a pressure job if you cannot handle it best step aside, as for credit and bad debts, that has never changed and not likely to.

No Signs Of Retirement

Martin Synan is showing no signs of pulling up stumps yet after 30 years as Moonee Valley’s racecourse and facilities manager.

Yesterday he was in a different capacity, being hosted by the committee in recognition of his excellent service to the Moonee Valley Racing Club.

The Valley, as it is so often referred to, continues as a great place to go racing.

No Shortage Of Handshakes

There will any amount of trips down memory, and handshakes to boot, when Berrigan Race Club conducts their next race meeting, a full T A B fixture on the 30^th of August, a day to remember 94 year old Bert Honeychurch.

Much of the history revolving about racing in Berrigan belongs to Bert, he was a highly and respected trainer who prepared hundreds of winners for a loyal group of clients.

He trained horses as close to nature as possible getting excellent results, the 35 horses he generally had in work all enjoyed their lunch in the sunshine, stabling was for night time only.

Bert will be in good company with 12 grand children and 11 great grand children to honour him on the occasion, included in the troupe will be his grandson, Stephen Theodore, a prominent young city trainer.

Punters were in disarray as to what to make favourite when betting opened in the Rod Johnson Handicap at Flemington.

Finally, they pulled the right rein when settling on Word of Mouth, who just got up in the last stride to defeat Leventi after a nail biting finish.

Leon Corstens is in no hurry to go much further with the gelding at this stage, believing he will be a much better horse in the autumn.

The gelding settled well off the pace, at one stage he was nearer last than first, but gradually began to make ground from the top of the straight.

Leventi had got away from the main body of the field by the clock tower, and looked all over a winner until Word of Mouth appeared on the scene, getting up in the very last stride to snatch a well earned win.

Word Of Mouth was purchased for $150,000 at the Premier Sales by successful syndicator, Brad Spicer, to the delight of a happy group of shareholders.

The gelding is by Not A Single Doubt, a sire better known for the sprinting stock he has sired, while his maternal grand sire, Hennessy, was of a similar mould.

Word Of Mouth syndicated by Brad Spicer 

The 26^th edition of “Stallions”, or better known as the breeder’s bible, arrived on my desk this morning.

Nothing has changed since the very first edition; it remains among the finest horse breeding publications in the world.

“Stallions” has stood the test of time, a credit to its publisher, Andrew Reichard, and editor, Jennifer Churchill, they have been there for those 26 editions.

The highest services fees are shared by Redoute’s Choice and Exceed and Excel, both at $110,000, Fastnet Rock stood last year for $275,000, this year the fee is on application.

An interesting inclusion in each edition features quite a few sires of former years that make for interesting reading for breeding buffs.

Among former stallions is Nilo, an excellent sire with an outstanding pedigree, he was bred by the old Aga Khan and imported by Lionel Israel’s Segenhoe Stud, at Scone in the Hunter Valley.

He left a number of good horses including Pride of Egypt, Nilarco, Mallant, Amneris, Queen of the Nile, as a brood mare sire his daughters left no fewer than 34 Stakes winners.

He was by Nearco from the family of Lady Josephine, she produced two quality fillies in Mumtaz Mahal and Lady Juror, the dam of Fair Trial.

Nilo was ultimately exported to Claiborne Stud where his three quarter brother, Nasrullah, was already located.

Moonee Valley Racing Club have extended invitations to 10 of leading weight for age performers, from all areas of the globe, to contest the Group 1, $3 million, this year’s Sportingbet Cox Plate, to be decided on October 25.

Air travelling for horses has made the world a much smaller place with horses constantly flying around Europe and other parts of the world, our racing is certainly beginning to look attractive with our prize money on the increase.

Moonee Valley Racing Club chairman, Bob Scarborough, is excited at the prospect of encouraging the best horses to compete in the race which is among the jewels in the crown of Australian racing, the Cox Plate.

High on the wish list is the Japanese champion, Just A Way, currently the highest rated thoroughbred in the world.

He continued on his winning way last week end with his fourth straight Group win, when he narrowly defeated Grand Prix Boss in the Group 1 Yasuda Kiren over 1600 metres in Tokyo.

Moonee Valley Racing Club will fully subsidize all expenses incurred in travelling to Melbourne for the Premier weight for age race.

The invitees include African Story (UAE), Cirrus Des Aigles (FR).Dan Excel (HK), Designs On Rome (HK), Just A Way (JP), Military Attack (HK), Mukhadram (GB), Noble Mission (GB),

Entries for the 3 million Group 1 Sportingbet Cox Plate close on August 5.