The team of Peter Moody and Luke Nolan have once again combined to take out the $10million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens with I Wish I Win in a scintillating performance.
A winner two starts back in the Listed Testa Rossa Stakes (1300m) at Sandown, the four-year-old Savabeel gelding then ran a last start fifth in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) leading into today’s feature event.
Jumping from barrier 10 at $8.50 odds with online bookmakers, I Wish I Win came from wide out at the rear of the big field around the turn to storm down the middle of the straight, breaking clear at the 200m to go on with the nose win from the fast finishing Fan Girl ($12) with Gypsy Goddess ($12) in third.
The win takes the gelding’s career earnings to over $5.5 million with 5 wins and seven placings over his 13 start career.
Now in its fourth year, The XXXX Golden Eagle brings together some the best four-year-olds in the country and abroad is now Australia’s second richest race with 10% of the $10 million prizemoney also being donated to the winning owners’ charity of choice. 10% of I Wish I Win’s prizemoney will be going to the Muscular Dystrophy Association NSW.
2022 Golden Eagle Race Replay – I Wish I Win
“Great thrill, congratulations to the team at Waikato Stud. We had faith in this horse and people thought he was disappointing in the Toorak, but the track just didn’t suit him that day. Luke (Nolen) gave him a gun run today, presented him at the right time and got the job done, God bless him,” said Moody.
“This is the second biggest turf race in the world. We’ll take it.”
Moody reflected on his come back to training after a hiatus and was thankful for being the opportunity to be involved with I Wish I Win,
“It’s tremendous, it’s been a great thrill and great ride. Mark and Pippa and the team back at Waikato, congratulations team. That’s tremendous and thanks for inviting me to be a part of this horse.”
Nolan was pleased to head North to raid Sydney’s second richest race,
“Bloody oath. You New South Welshman are down there on the other side raiding ours at the moment (James McDonald dominating at Flemington today) so we thought we’d get a bit of it back. Really pleased, really rewarding and even more special I get to share it with Moods (trainer Peter Moody).”
“He’s been progressive,” Nolen said of I Wish I Win,
“He came over with a lowish rating, but he came with nice form around him, albeit he hadn’t been winning races it was good to see him to build his way into this. We thought he was a real chance in the Toorak at his last, he probably didn’t get track conditions quite to suit. Today we blended into the race really quickly. It sort of took me by surprise and then he floated around and let the second horse into the race a bit, but he was really good.
“I always say it’s not how you win them, it’s how you celebrate them. I’m gonna be nice and bloody pissed after this one!”
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