With four individual Group victories on Saturday in the Yulong silks, no one could deny that Treasurethe Moment’s $750,000 Group 1 MRC Memsie Stakes (1400m) winning performance outshone those of Grand Prairie, Tycoon Star and Magic Time earlier in the day.
The green letter day - read about their earlier winners-
Tycoon Star wins the G3 McNeil
Grand Prairie wins the G3 Up and Coming
Magic Time wins the G3 Cockram
A winner of the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) in the Autumn where he defeated Mr Brightside (Bullbars), the Ciaron Maher trained Another Wil (Street Boss) jumped away the favourite in the star-studded contest, just ahead of the Sydney mare Fangirl (Sebring).
From the inside barrier, Damian Lane jumped away dual Gr1 Oaks-winning Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express) extremely well to settle handy, just a few lengths off Pinstriped (Street Boss) who eventually found the lead over Here To Shock (Shocking).
Entering the home straight, Mr Brightside pulled out to commence his run, but as soon as a gap appeared between Pinstriped and Here To Shock, the race was all over as Treasurethe Moment sprinted with absolute ease, putting a margin between herself and Mr Brightside in a matter of strides.
When the line was reached, Treasurethe Moment had recorded her fourth career Group 1 victory, leaving Mr Brightside two and a half lengths further back. Working home late to finish in third and fourth was the Chris Waller trained pair of Buckaroo (Fastnet Rock and Fangirl.
The Memsie Stakes victory took Treasurethe Moments record to ten wins and two second placed efforts from 12 starts with $3,010,262 in earnings.
While Laurie knows the quality of his star mare, the sheer class of Saturday’s Memsie field left the trainer unsure about how Treasurethe Moment would perform over the 1400m.
“One of the best Memsie fields we’ve seen in some time,” said Laurie.
“I wasn’t expecting to be coming here and winning, but she had come up very well and to win in such fashion, is pretty incredible.
“There was good pace. She was able to ease across the speed. You just knew coming to the turn, if she got the breaks, that she would burst through.
“I have never seen a horse travel that well around the bend and quicken up like she did, it was fantastic to watch.
“I look forward to hearing what Damian has to say. To come back from winning two Oaks and come back against a field like this over seven furlongs, it’s mind blowing.”
As for where she will head next, the plan will see the mare step up to 1600m next time out.
“The plan has always been to go to the Makybe second-up into the Turnbull and then it’s a matter of deciding which way, the Cox Plate or the Caulfield Cup. That’s a discussion to have with the connections, they’ve obviously got a lot of high-class horses and obviously don’t want to meet. On that run, 2000 metres at The Valley, she’d have to be some chance.”
“I’ve been very fortunate. She’s super sound. The way she cantered down to the start. It was the slowest, easiest, relaxed canter you could do and then she races accordingly. I’m so grateful to have a horse like her come through the stable.”
Winning jockey Damian Lane was full of superlatives after the stunning victory.
“She was great,” stated Lane.
“She’s come back in really good order. You’re never really sure. Trackwork, jump-outs, they’re a different kind of pressure, but she’s jumping up to the big boys and girls now.
“We were hoping what we were seeing in her trackwork and trials would translate into today and it did. It was a little unexpected the way the race was run.
“We didn’t have Pinstriped leading them up at a very fast clip. I was in a bit of a sticky spot on the corner, but luckily enough I was able to take it and she was electrifying.”
“I was thinking do I put Mr Brightside out, how well is Here To Shock going and I didn’t want to be bumping a duelling him and with the horses to the outside I might create a domino effect.
“I noticed Here To Shock roll off and I thought that’s my opportunity, so I ducked back in and just as I did that Daniel started to straighten Here To Shock up and the run was closing, but she went fast enough and I got in there and before I knew it, I was through there.”
Bred by Yulong Investments, Treasurethe Moment is the best of two winners from three to the races out of the now deceased Street Cry mare Draconic Treasure who comes from an exciting international black type family which includes Group 1-winning sprinter Rich Tapestry, Group 1 Melbourne Cup winner Media Puzzle and Champion Miler Refuse To Bend.
Treaurethe Moment is clearly the best of 12 stakes performers by Yulong’s Group 1 CF Orr Stakes winner Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice), who is standing this season at a fee of $66,000 (inc. GST).
