The unfashionably bred Maximus Moonard upstaged more fancied two-year-olds with a last to first win in the Written Tycoon Stakes (1000m) at Sandown Hillside today.
Having his first race start, the Tony McEvoy trained colt more than doubled his purchase price by taking the key prize.
Jockey Craig Williams dragged the son of Formalhaut-Still The One back after drawing the outside barrier while Lamingtons set a quick pace in front.
Magnus Reign over-raced and Andre Roo Hoo was four wide without cover.
At the 300m, Maximus Moonard was widest but by the 100m had the race won.
Lamingtons momentarily kicked in the straight but had enough before the 100m mark as Timely Truce and Coins both made ground from midfield as Andre Roo Hoo hung tough.
McEvoy paid $26,000 for Maximus Moonard for major stable backer Wayne Mitchell and picked up $60,000.
Maximus Moonard ($16) defeated Timely Truce ($26) by a length and a half with Andre Roo Hoo ($3.60 fav) a nose away third.
The two men bought Lindsay Park a couple of years back from David Hayes, the famous Angaston property set up by Hall of Fame trainer the late Colin Hayes.
McEvoy and Mitchell have upgraded and want to make it the most successful training centre in Australia.
“It is very exciting to have these horses up and running and it just shows how good a facility we have got,” McEvoy said
“Colin Hayes set it up that way and many two-year-old winners have been trained off the place and it is making us look good.
“Wayne Mitchell and I were happy to buy it, he was happy to support me and we have spent a lot of money
“We have put in two new tracks.
“It has always been a fabulous place to train but it was looking a little tired so we upgraded it.
“We will make it one of the best places South Australia and Australia.”
McEvoy’s two-year-olds have started the season well.
“This season I bought 13 two-year-olds and we had five or six sent to us,” McEvoy said.
“He (Maximus Moonard) lines up well with Little Critter who won in Adelaide and Swipeline who ran at Moonee Valley and was unlucky.”
“He is slighly behind Jimando (Debutant winner at Caulfield in October).”
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | MAXIMUS MOONARD | Tony McEvoy | Craig Williams | 9 | 57kg | $16 | |
| 2 | 6 | TIMELY TRUCE | Ricky Maund | Craig Newitt | 1.5L | 4 | 57kg | $26 |
| 3 | 1 | ANDRE ROO HOO | Robbie Laing | Hugh Bowman | 1.6L | 8 | 57kg | $3.60F |
| 4 | 7 | COINS | Peter Snowden | Mark Zahra | 2L | 2 | 55kg | $4.40 |
| 5 | 2 | DIFFERING FORTUNES | Gai Waterhouse | Nash Rawiller | 5.75L | 6 | 57kg | $5.50 |
| 6 | 11 | VITAL | Peter Snowden | Kerrin McEvoy | 5.85L | 7 | 55kg | $6.50 |
| 7 | 8 | LAMINGTONS | Matt Laurie | Ben Melham | 5.95L | 5 | 55kg | $12 |
| 8 | 3 | MAGNUS REIGN | Rick Hore-Lacy | Dean Yendall | 9.2L | 3 | 57kg | $11 |
| 9 | 10 | TOWAN | Rod Symons | Danny Nikolic | 9.5L | 1 | 55kg | $61 |
| 5 | OUR MONASHEE | Monica Croston | Peter Mertens | 0 | ||||
| 9 | SUN DISPLAY | David Noonan | Nicholas Hall | 0 |
