A Sentimental Maiden Victory

Debut victories do not come more impressive than that recorded by Slinky Veeness at Cranbourne on Sunday – the three-year-old jumping fast from the gates to take an early lead, and that is just where she stayed.

In fact she increased that lead in the run home, kicking clear early in the straight to salute by a soft 4¼ lengths with plenty in hand.

“She has always shown herself to be pretty smart,” Michael Moroney said, adding that the daughter of Guillotine “has just been a slow maturer.”

It was a sentimental win for the Moroney family – Paul having bred her Listed winning dam Slinky Planet whilst her grandam Night Flight was Michael’s very first winner as an Australian licenced trainer – saluting at Cheltenham on December 16, 1995.

“So we have known the family for a while,” Michael said, adding that Slinky Veeness' ability to extend off a lead was “a good sign” for the future.

Jockey Damian Lane was also impressed.

“She is a smart filly, she flew the gates from her wide alley and had to use up a bit of petrol early.”

“But she switched off well underneath me and she was just floating along in front.”

“Once I asked her for an effort she really let go.”

“She is very green still,” he continued, “so there is a lot of improvement there which is probably the best thing about her.”

“She is only going to get better and she is city class for sure.”

A NZ$70,000 Karaka Select purchase for Iskander Racing, Slinky Veeness is a half-sister to the metropolitan winner Simply Boogie from the family of stakes winners Glamour Star (her third dam), Starska and Minnaloushka.

Hopefully our week continues to be a winning one as we take five runners to Mornington on Wednesday and another to Doomben.

Three-year-old Deckhand is our Brisbane runner and he is expected to perform well stepping up to 2200m – despite another tricky draw (12).

“He continuously draws off the track,” Moroney rued, “which makes it difficult as he will probably have to go a bit further back than is ideal.”

“But his last run contained merit and he is going well.”

Our busy day at Mornington kicks off with Jemerica in the third event, the Orbit Fitness Handicap.

To be ridden by Craig Newitt, she enjoys a class drop having contested strong Flemington races at her last couple of starts.

“We probably rode her upside down last time,” Moroney said, “but this time from a nice gate (1) she should get a bit of cover.”

“She is quite smart on her day and on her best form she’d be hard to beat.”

Zazparella and Milkwood both contest the fourth race, the Positive Move Handicap, and both can run well according to Moroney.

“She was very good and pretty unlucky last start,” Moroney said of Zazparella who was in the placings at Sandown.

“She just didn’t jump away with them and she got further back than we liked – but she made up good ground.”

“The blinkers come off as she over-raced with them on.”

“Milkwood’s last run was also quite good,” Moroney continued, noting that she was not really ridden to suit when a game Flemington fifth.

“She has drawn nicely (1) and should run really well.”

Devonshire Duke resumes in the Progress Signs Handicap and we are looking to the future for him.

“He does have a good fresh record but the 1200m is likely to prove too short.”

Walloon Region, who takes his place in the Land Engineering Handicap, is our final runner for the day – a galloper who Moroney describes as “a very nice horse.”

“He can go through his classes this time in and have a good winter campaign. We have been really happy with him.”