Fat Al’s victory in the Listed $150,000 Yalumba Golden Mile (1600m) at Bendigo today chalked up 700 winners for the Peter Moody and Luke Nolen trainer-jockey combination.
Moody and Nolen teamed up eleven years ago and have climbed to the top of Australian racing together to record another milestone.
Among many of their greatest achievements for Moody during their time together was the feats of Black Caviar with Nolen partnering the champion mare in twenty-two of her twenty-five wins during her undefeated career.
Moody and Nolen went to the races today on 698 wins together and were in the winner’s stall early with a win in the first race on the program with Splash Of Moet in the Daiquri King 0-84 Handicap (1100m).
“It was good to knock off number 700, I’m pretty chuffed,” Nolen said.
“It’s been hell of a ride. I have to thank Peter Moody, he threw me a life line eleven years ago.”
The premiership winning trainer has resurrected the career of Fat Al who has been winless since winning the 2012 Group 1 $500,000 The Star Epsom (1600m) at Randwick when under the care of Gai Waterhouse.
“We had a tremendous win with him in the Epsom and then he went missing for eighteen months I suppose. We decided a change of scenery and we thank Gai Waterhouse for that,” winning owner Steve Bruhn said.
“She suggested that he move somewhere and freshen up and Pete’s just done a terrific job with him.”
“He had a few hick ups with him first prep and he is back to what we thought he could be.”
Moody put the blinkers back on Fat Al today after the five year old showed signs of his old form with a first up third to Mouro in the Group 3 $120,000 TAB Rewards Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on March 1.
Nolen had no hesitation in letting Fat Al stroll forward to race on the pace after the Bendigo track was downgraded to a Slow 7 following a long delay because of a severe thunder storm rolling across Bendigo.
Fat Al ($11) had a good battle with the leader London Stripe ($31) before holding off the final challenge by Bel Thor ($17) to win by a length with Bass Strait ($7.50) a nose away in third spot.
London Stripe battled on for fourth while the well backed favourite import Shikarpour ($3.90) failed to beat a runner home at his first Australian start.
