Group performed mare She’s A Thief (NZ) (Showcasing) recorded her first victory since relocating to Australia for trans-Tasman trainer Mike Moroney when winning the Father Brendan Dillon Hcp (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
The four-year-old was aided by a polished Daniel Stackhouse ride as Victoria’s leading jockey rode to the track pattern.
“I thought she was really tough,” Stackhouse said. “I knew she’d be fit from the other day – the run at Moonee Valley was really good. I just rode how the track was playing.
“From the outside barrier I went to the lead and thought that if I can go at a high cruising speed then I thought she’d be able to tough it out and they’d struggle to catch her.”
The winner of four races, She’s A Thief has raced consistently from Moroney’s Flemington barn, and boasts placings at Group Two and Group Three level in her native New Zealand, where she raced from Moroney’s Matamata stable which is overseen by training partner Pam Gerrard.
“She’s been running around the money and her performances have been good,” stable representative Jack Turnbull said.
“She’s been a length or two off them but we’ve been happy with her and it’s good to see her get the victory.
“We had to be aggressive. That’s her go. She was drawn wide but thankfully she stepped cleanly and showed good zest early and it paid dividends.
“She’ll probably go to the breeding barn at the end of this year so if we can space out her runs and get to there, and pick up another race or two, it’ll be ideal.”
The daughter of Showcasing was bred by Dan Myers and is out of the Red Ransom mare Steal.
She is raced by a syndicate which features Woburn Farm’s Hannah Kettlety.
Kettlety and partner Adrian Stanley purchased She’s A Thief as a weanling for $13,000 and on-sold her for $30,000 at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Festival Yearling Sale to the bid of Paul Moroney.
The Woburn Farm couple were able to buy back into the filly who went on to be stakes placed at two and finish fourth in the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) won by Avantage (Fastnet Rock).
