After an out of character performance in the Northwood Plume Stakes, Matt Laurie's ultra-reliable Moonlover bounced back for a career highlight win in Wednesday's Listed Shojun Concrete Stakes (Black Pearl Stakes) (1200m) at Geelong.
After beginning well, Mark Zahra elected to take the daughter of Ilovethiscity to the front and she led at every call to defeat the fast-finishing Split Lip (Your Song) by a half-neck with In Good Time (Time Thief) a length back in third.
Moonlover advances her record to 9 wins, 7 seconds and 4 thirds from 34 starts with earnings of $400,080.
Winning trainer Matt Laurie said the 5yo mares first stakes win was a credit to her constitution.
"Full credit to Moonlover she has been in work for a hell of a long time now," Laurie said.
"She keeps fronting up and has now got a stakes win – that was the aim so happy days.
"She's won eight and has got a stakes win so I've got a group of very happy owners.
"Paul Wolff (part-owner) raced Ilovethiscity as well. They retained the stallion and bought a bunch of mares and this is the result out of one of them so it's a great story."
Moonlover is the best of four winners out of six to race out of the imported Danehill mare Moondreamer (IRE) who was sold for $20,000 at the 2014 Inglis Great Southern Bloodstock Sale.
She is a half-sister to the Group II winner and multiple Group 1 placed Emerald Commander (Pivotal) who was honoured as the Champion 3YO Male Miler in Germany in 2010.
Moondreamer (IRE) has a 2yo colt by Hala Bek (IRE). Her 2017 foal by I'm All The Talk died after birth.
Moonlover becomes the second stakes-winner for Noor Elaine Farm's Ilovethiscity after the Group 1 ATC Sires' Produce Stakes winner, El Dorado Dreaming.
