Filly continues winning tradition

Impressive: Priscilla Schmidt rides Chenkajest to a win in race 10 at the Grafton races.

Adam Hourigan

THE Felicity Firth-trained filly Here To Dance continued a long winning tradition for the Moorhead family at Grafton yesterday.

And a belated decision to buy the Choisir's three-year-old's dam Here To Eternity has the potential to bring further rewards.

Having only her fourth start, Here To Dance underlined her potential with a 1-1/4 length win in the Winning Edge Presentations Maiden (1608m).

Ridden by Michael Heagney, Here To Dance ($16) beat Oahu Gem ($2.70) and Dancetiger ($6).

Followers of the stable collected handsomely however, the filly paying $31.40 on the tote.

Here To Dance is raced by Victoria Moorhead, wife of the late Phil Moorhead, sons Michael and Ed and his wife Tanya.

The Moorheads have raced several good gallopers, most notably King Of The Nile, incidentally recovering from a tendon injury and the family hopeful of a comeback, and King Of The Skies, both previously trained by Ken Lantry, who also enjoyed success yesterday with Elmoso.

Here To Dance was got as a yearling at the Magic Million sales for $20,000.

“This is our first winner since King Of The Nile three years back,” Michael Moorhead said.

Firth believes the filly has good potential.

“She's still learning but going to be a nice filly later on,” she said.

Heaghney added: “She's still green. She was all over the place and still hasn't switched on yet so under the circumstances it was a good win.”

Here To Eternity was sold for $65,000 carrying a foal (Here To Dance). The following year the mare missed and later missed again to Choisir.

Eventually, as an 18-year-old, she was offered empty at a Magic Millions broodmare sale. There was no interest. She was sold to the doggers for a meagre $500.

The Moorehead's received a phone call from MM representative, Grafton-raised Clint Donovan, notifying them of the sale.

“We'd actually watched the auction on computer,” Ed Moorhead recalled. “We decided to take a punt, offer $1000 for the mare.

“She's had seven foals to race including Klochkova. All of them have won.”

Their action saved the mare from the cannery.

Here To Eternity is currently in foal to Redoute's Choice stallion Sharkbite and due to foal shortly.

While Phil McLeod was absent nursing a broken leg, wife Vicky deputised, promising Brookton Tiara winning the Schweppes Maiden (1000m) impressively by two lengths despite racing three-wide with the leaders.

“She should improve on that. She's a nice filly and was impressive,” Vicky suggested. “She's only lightly-framed, but a very good doer.”

In a later phone call McLeod deflected credit to the filly's former trainer, Tamworth-based Barry Lockwood.

“Barry's done all the work with her. We've only had her three weeks,” McLeod insisted. “She's a lovely type.”

Winning jockey Robert Thompson, who later scored a double with Port Macquarie Cup-bound Homenow, was impressed.

“She will go through her classes, no worries.” Thompson said. “(She's) a nice filly.”

Grafton owner-breeder Don Campbell was all smiles after the John Shelton-trained Sonaceequal broke through to win the Bettortrader Maiden (1000m), ridden by Matthew Paget sizzling home in 34sec for the final 600m, the quickest of the day.

Sonaceequal is the second foal from Campbell's prolific winning mare Miss Ceeanne.

Shelton narrowly missed a double when the Jenny Graham-trained Homenow swept home from last to edge out Handsome Dane by a short head in the WHK Benchmark 65 Hcp (2018m).

The five-year-old gelding is keen for the $25,000 Sky Racing Gold Hcp at Port on September 26 then the $50,000 Port Macquarie Cup (2000m) on October 8.