An on-speed bias spurred Marocchino to a fighting victory for trainer Lou Luciani in the LR Northam Cup (1600m) on Sunday.
Luciani also bred Marocchino and his partner Trish Roberts races the 6yo stayer with Mark & Paul Luzi. They’ve banked $875,215 in prizemoney that includes Westspeed Platinum bonuses of $231,000.
It was the fourth trophy race won by the front-running son of Alwyn Park sire Maschino following an Albany Cup, Tattersall’s Cup and Diggers Cup. A Group 1 pay-day is the next goal in the $1.5million Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 19.
Alwyn Park’s John Andrew and Maschino’s owners Jim & Trish Anderson have guided his stud career from a single-figure book at $2,200 to over 90 mares at a $9,900 fee this year.
Fresh from the Northam Cup success, Andrew and wife Sandra will head to the Melbourne Cup carnival next week to watch their exciting sprinter Minsk Moment run on Cup Day at Flemington.
He has been nominated for the LR MSS Security Sprint (1200m) and a Benchmark 90 Hcp (1400m) by trainer Chris Waller.
A lightly-raced 4yo stallion by I Am Invincible, Minsk Moment won at Canterbury and Moonee Valley last year, landed the Treasury Quality (1300m) at Eagle Farm in April and added the Dual Choice Plate (1200m) first-up at Geelong last Wednesday.
He’s raced by owner-breeder Keith Biggs in a partnership that includes Andrew, David Reed, Adam Durrant, Rod Cosgrove, Tony Patrizi, Tom Gogan and Jenny Clews.
Apart from the Western Australian contingent, Hunter Valley stud Yarraman Park – the home of Champion sire I Am Invincible – was also brought on board by Biggs.
Minsk Moment was bred by Biggs from Perth Stakes-performer Dancing Express (Oratorio). “I foaled down Dancing Express here in 2011,” Andrew recalled. “All going well, the plan is to bring Minsk Moment across for The Pinnacles at Ascot.
“He has a stallion’s pedigree and is a good-looking horse without being heavy-set. And a Group 1 win over here would make him a very valuable sire prospect.”
