Kiwi-breds salute at Sandown

[Wandering Eyes]

Moscow Red (NZ) (Road To Rock) and Horrifying (NZ) (Shocking) combined to deliver an impressive winning double for New Zealand-breds at Sandown on Saturday afternoon.

Veteran mare Moscow Red took her career earnings past A$300,000 with a powerful come-from-behind performance in the Ladbrokes Switch Handicap (1600m), which was the ninth win of a 54-start career for the eight-year-old mare.

“She’s an absolute legend, she really is,” said Ashley Jarvis, representing trainer Henry Dwyer. “Henry is up at Swan Hill, and he’ll be ecstatic. It was a great ride from Will (Price).

“She’s done very well on the soft before, and she loved the conditions. She’s done it again today, so she’s a very good girl.”

Originally named Moscow Mistress, the mare was bred by John Bary, Ivan Grieve and Mike Sanders. She is by Road To Rock out of Miss Faberge (NZ) (Ustinov), who won four races and is a half-sister to the Listed winner Innovation (NZ) (Keeper).

A debut winner for Bary at Hastings in May of 2017, Moscow Red subsequently crossed the Tasman and has since added victories at Geelong, Sandown (three times), Cranbourne, Pakenham, Ballarat and Morphettville.

Talented stayer Horrifying couldn’t be caught by his rivals at Sandown. Photo: Bruno Cannatelli

The other New Zealand-bred winner at Sandown on Saturday was talented stayer Horrifying, who ran his rivals into the ground with a bold front-running performance in the Ladbrokes Mates Mode Handicap (2400m).

The four-year-old gelding rounded the home turn with a commanding lead and never gave his rivals a look in from there, keeping up a strong gallop to the line to win by three and a half lengths.

“It was a good ride, they were walking and he was out deep so he just let him slide,” trainer Mark Kavanagh said. “He hasn’t been winning out of turn, but he’s been pretty honest and today’s race just suited him.”

Horrifying was bred by Alan Galbraith and is a son of Shocking and the Red Ransom mare Zelt.

Bought by Eales Racing for $70,000 from Rich Hill Stud’s draft in Book 2 of Karaka 2019, Horrifying has now had 22 starts for three wins, six placings and A$289,752 in stakes, including a third placing in the Gr.3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) as a three-year-old.

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