DREAM OPENER FOR MOLONEY

Patrick Moloney’s brief New Zealand stint got away to a cracking start on Friday when he guided the precocious youngster Bocce to victory at Otaki.

The Victorian jockey successfully combined with the Michael Moroney and Pam Gerrard-trained colt to claim the Fasttrack Insurance 2YO Premier (1000m).

Moloney is firmly established as Moroney’s stable jockey across the Tasman and he didn’t need to be asked twice to travel over and deputise for the suspended Jake Bayliss.

“I was going to go on holiday and then Mike said to me that Jake had been suspended and would I go over and ride a few,” he said. “I said yes straight away, no dramas.”

Bocce jumped smartly to make the running and after kicking clear on the turn, he had enough in reserve to hold off the favourite Hattie Bee.

“With Jake suspended we were really happy Patrick could come over,” Gerrard said.

Moloney will ride on Saturday at Ellerslie, where his mounts include On The Rocks in the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial (1500m), before returning to Australia.

The $14,060 winning stake Bocce earned for his Otaki effort would now secure him a spot in the Karaka Million (1200m).

“That’s the big apple in January and we can keep him ticking over until then,” Gerrard said.

Bocce was purchased by Moroney’s brother Paul out of Blandford Lodge’s draft at Karaka earlier this year for $105,000 and it is a family the siblings know well.

He is a son of Foxwedge and Whiffle, a Red Ransom mare from the family of Mission Critical who the Moroneys trained to win the Gr.1 Waikato International Stakes (2000m).

Blandford Lodge will offer a sister to Bocce during the Premier Sale at Karaka next year. – NZ Racing Desk.