Peter Moody and Luke Nolen predicted that Lucky Decision (NZ) (Per Incanto) can become a metropolitan regular after belatedly starting his three-year-old season with victory at Sandown Hillside on Wednesday.
Lucky Decision ($6) settled behind the leader Endlessly ($2.25 favourite) and pounced under Nolen’s guidance, with Moody striking the mounting yard fence with glee over the final 250 metres as his horse strode clear to win by 1.25 lengths.
“He’s a nice horse,” Moody insisted post-race. “He had a run as a two-year-old (finishing fifth of six runners at Caulfield in April) and then (I) put him away and gelded him.
“I bought him back into work but he wasn’t mature enough still, so he then had another break. The owners (Ron and Judy Wanless) have been very patient and they’ve been rewarded with a nice horse.
“He’s in work at the right time of year, this time of year these sorts of (three-year-old) horses can progress through their classes to a mark of 70 on a Saturday and I think he’s one of those.”
Nolen echoed Moody’s sentiments, indicating connections came to Sandown Hillside expecting the son of Zacinto to be hard to beat.
“At home he’s really pleased us with every bit of his work, so that wasn’t any surprise to us,” Nolen said.
“It ties in through the stablemate Victory Bay (Endlessly was runner-up to Victory Bay at The Valley on December 3), we know how well he’s been going, but we know how well this horse has been going as well.
“They’re going to have some fun over the summer months with a lot of their three-year-olds at Moody Racing.
“I think they’d go out in trip for his (Lucky Decision’s) next start but I’ll leave it in Peter’s capable hands. He’s got a very bright future.”
Lucky Decision was purchased for $270,000 from Inglewood Stud’s 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale Book 1 draft. He is out of Sydney winner Secret Scent (NZ) (O’Reilly), a sister to Ombre Rose (NZ) who has produced Group Three winner Secret Allure (NZ) (Zacinto).
