Michael Moroney’s New Zealand stayer The Good Fight (NZ) (High Chaparral) relished Saturday’s bleak weather when outstaying his rivals in the A$150,000 Flemington Cup 1849 (2800m).
The Good Fight ($15), ridden by Ben Melham with the topweight of 60kg, defeated Sweet Thomas (Dylan Thomas) ($6) by half a length, with Saunter Boy (Myboycharlie) ($6.50) a further 3.5 lengths away in third.
Trained by Shaune Ritchie in Zealand, The Good Fight was placed over 3200m on soft ground in the Gr.2 Wellington Cup last year and at his start prior to arriving in Australia won the Gr.3 Rotorua Cup (2200m) on a heavy track.
After finishing eighth for Ritchie in the Listed Winter Cup (2400m) in Sydney last month, The Good Fight made his way to Moroney’s Melbourne stable.
He finished fifth over 2000m at Caulfield on June 26 where he made good late ground behind No Effort (Reward For Effort) with Melham aboard.
“I thought he was good on the line and through the line the other day,” Melham said.
“He’s quite casual, he doesn’t have a lot of speed early and you can’t mess around with his racing pattern too much.
“I let him be happy for the first half and when the rain came it really suited him.”
“He’s got form over these trips and the wet ground was really in his favour.”
Moroney’s stable representative Jack Turnbull suggested The Good Fight would remain in work through the winter in search of similar wet tracks.
“We’re just keen to plot him through winter,” Turnbull said.
“He loves soft tracks and can stay.
“He has form over two miles and if we can find these similar races going forward, it will be good.”
The Good Fight is out of the well-performed Zabeel mare Pravda (NZ), who won three times at stakes level and was runner-up in the 1999 Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m). He has now won five of his 32 starts and has earned over A$320,000 in prizemoney.
