Moonstorm shines in Grigg win

Press, 6 September 1989, Page 47

Moonstorm shines in Grigg win

By

DAVID McCARTHY

When David Walsh assessed a yearling colt at the Autumn Sale at Karaka in April, 1988, he wrote “quality type” on the catalogue page.

Walsh then outbid Dave O’Sullivan for the colt, going $5OO above the Matamata trainer’s limit of $lO,OOO. The youngster, Moonstorm, paid the investment back with interest with his win in the $20,000 Grigg Classic at Ashburton yesterday. "He just appealed to me. He was a lovely type, better looking than he is now and with a nice head,” recalled Walsh, who trains the Australianbred colt for Mike Best and Graeme Mitchenson of Wellington in partnership with his wife, Sue. “He is growing and maturing now and looks a bit more awkward. It won’t be pushing him into the big races too soon and it might be the autumn before the best is seen of him,” said Walsh. The Walshes have won five races already this season from five horses to race, Vanity Star giving the Stable a double for the day when winning the last event yesterday. Walsh is also the leading rider so far this term, Moonstorm’s success being his eleventh of the season. Walsh, who served his apprenticeship at Ashburton with Jim Lalor, had not previously won a Grigg Classic and yesterday was his first day’s

riding on the track since it was reformed last year. He settled Moonstorm, an impressive maiden winner at Foxton at his previous start, just behind the leaders and made his move earlier than he would have liked soon after the turn. Miss Tris, which had followed him most of the way, put up a determined fight, but the northerner was always in control. “I had to keep him up to the mark because he was gawking around a bit, but he won it well,” Walsh said. He is to return north with Moonstorm but has no special plans for him. He could, however, return south for age-group races leading up to the New Zealand Cup meeting even if a start in the Two Thousand Guineas is far from being certain. Moonstorm is by Celestial Dancer, a prominent first-season sire in Australia. Celestial Dancer is by Godswalk, a top English sprinter which was himself exported to Australia but died after one season there. Celestial Dancer was a first-class sprinter, a stakes winner and placed in the Goodwood Stewards Cup. Moonstorm was conceived in Australia and his dam, Storm Girl imported to New Zealand

in foal. Moonstorm is the first North Island-trained Grigg winner, but Miss Tris, seeking to become only the third filly to win in the last decade, put up a valiant bid to thwart him. The Sackford filly had been causing concern to her connections with shin soreness. She missed the start slightly and was unable to make up the leeway. Her immediate racing plans are up in the air, but do not include the Canterbury Belle Stakes at Riccarton. Hakatere, with only one trial since her race debut in March to sustain her for the task, put up a mighty effort to complete a rather predictable trifecta, if more rewarding than might have been expected. Hakatere was outside Miss Tris following Moonstorm and did well to cling to her placing. Tony Lawrey has set her for the Wellington Thoroughbred Breeders’ Guineas Trial at Otaki on September 23, followed by a tilt at the Desert Gold Stakes at Trentham the following week. Irish King indicated he will not be hard to place during his southern campaign by running on for fourth after settling last, and Chamelon made ground for fifth.