Grinzinger Moon continues unbeaten NZ run
A failed attempt to get Grinzinger Moon (Puissance De Lune) in foal last year is proving to be a blessing in disguise, with stakes targets now in her sights after she continued her unbeaten streak in New Zealand on Saturday.
Commencing her career in Australia, the daughter of Puissance De Lune won four consecutive races for trainer Ben Brisbourne before putting in a couple of subpar unplaced runs at the start of last winter and owner-breeder John Wheeler decided to retire her to the broodmare paddock.
Wheeler sent her over to New Zealand for her first mating, but after failing to conceive she was brought out of retirement and placed in the care of Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood.
She placed in her 1000m trial at Avondale in March before heading to Ellerslie’s midweek meeting last week where she scored by a head, giving jockey Ethan Jones his first win on New Zealand shores.
The expat English hoop was once again in the saddle on Saturday, and while they were posted three-wide for the entirety of the trip, Grinzinger Moon showed her tenacity when rallying down the home straight to run out a convincing 2-1/2 length victor.
“It was a huge effort,” James said. “She was three wide facing the breeze the whole way outside the leaders. If she had fallen in the ground at the 300m you wouldn’t have blamed her.
“She is a mare that could be worthy of sitting tight and setting for some of the better sprints in the summertime.
“The owner said that he is not solid on mating her again if she can perform, and she has certainly done that, so we might have a bit of fun in the spring.”
Grinzinger Moon is out of Redoute’s Choice mare Taqdees, a daughter of stakes performer Later Gator, and a three-quarter sister to Group Two winner Wee Nessy, Group Two performer Snapback, and Group Three performer Adios.
She has now won six of her 10 starts to date and earned more than $102,000 in prizemoney.
Her victory capped a pleasing day for the stable, which started on a bad note when they were forced to scratch race favourite Excite out of the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m) following a spike in his temperature.
Incandescent (NZ) (Per Incanto) avenged his stablemate when taking out the juvenile feature, and Grinzinger Moon secured a stable double with her victory later on the card, while Arwen and Cosmic Dream also pleased with their placings.
Meanwhile, across the Tasman, stablemate Solid Gold (NZ) (Savabeel) got her Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) campaign off to a pleasing start at Doomben when running fifth in the Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m).
