Maloney barely puts a foot wrong at Doomben

There were four winners for Ryan Maloney on Doomben’s Wednesday card from just six rides - he also had two seconds.

There will not have been many days in the career of Ryan Maloney that will have given him the satisfaction that Doomben did on Wednesday. Four winners and two seconds from just six rides was an incredible return that will rank up with his three Group 1 winners. 

Most people headed to Doomben will not have been expecting much from the eight-race meeting. What they were treated to was a display of brilliant horsemanship from the 38-year-old hoop, whose confidence visually grew as the afternoon progressed.  

Betterletmedance

A $15.00 roughie got things started for Maloney after he had finished runner-up on his first ride of the afternoon. It was a patient ride - the second and third were the pair who sat first and second in the early stages, Maloney’s mount coming from a little further back with a well-timed challenge down the outside to hit the front inside the final 100m.

The filly had finished second in two of her first three starts, so she was not winning out of turn, breaking her maiden at the fourth time of asking. Her dam won in BM70 class, so she might be capable of stepping up on this in time, looking to have plenty of upside now that she has the confidence to get her head in front.

Porky

He took a little while to pick up the leader, looking like he might live up to his name from the 300-100m points, but it was not entirely convincing that he would go past. Eventually, Maloney got him to consent, holding off a late challenger down the centre of the course to add a second win on the afternoon.

He had a career record of a single win in 12 starts coming into Wednesday, so he is a bit tricky to catch right, so Maloney needs plenty of praise in getting the Tony Gollan-trained gelding to put his best foot forward. 

Thankful Heart

Winner number three came for Annabel Neasham in a BM70 and was comfortably the easiest winner of the afternoon for Maloney, two and a quarter lengths in front at the line. He managed to get across easily from a wide barrier to take control of the race from an early stage.

Despite a challenge early in the straight, Thankful Heart never looked like being caught and had pulled well clear again by the finish. The five-year-old horse has only had six starts, so connections have had to be patient with him. That long-term approach is now starting to pay off. The 1350m trip suited him, the longest distance he has raced over, opening up plenty more options for the future with him.

John Rambo

On a short-priced one, Maloney added a fourth winner on the card. Niggled along as they passed the 400m mark and moved into the straight, the favourite briefly looked in trouble, but he picked up well when Maloney had to get a little more serious on him and in the end, he won with plenty in hand.

Doomben was a Good 4, his other career win coming on a Soft 6, so he has a little versatility with regards to conditions and shaped as if he can stretch out beyond this 1200m trip in time, so he might be one for the black book with some better handicaps in mind. 

There was not to be a fifth winner, with Maloney only able to find the second-placed spot on Rephrase. She briefly looked a threat 150m from the line but was no match in the end for the winner.

Riding four winners on a single card is a considerable effort, even for the big boys on a string of superstars. For Ryan Maloney to achieve the feat on an ordinary Wednesday afternoon at Doomben from so few opportunities is worth celebrating.