I’m not the type to raise my voice and make a noise in the TAB when the horses I back are running. If I did I’d be giving the game away as to how few winners I pick.
There have been a few occasions I’ve given out a yell of ‘go, go, go!’ and it has been saved for very special horses in big races.
Bonecrusher in his return from injury in a last to first spectacular, Street Ruffian a favourite sprinter of mine in his first Group 1 win, Vo Rogue in his second Australian Cup win and Lonhro when he won his Australian Cup.
Over past two years I have fallen in love with a bush horse called Mujadale. On Saturday he won the 2200 Ballarat Cup. This took his record to 38 starts with 10 wins, five seconds and three thirds and earnings of $376,000.
When I first saw him two years ago he was in a lowly bush benchmark race on a Saturday afternoon. In this race he was caught deep, ended up settling outside the leader, went to the lead and was challenged numerous times but won. My punting mates Ray and Greg saw the race too and were just as impressed.
I then began following him, and regardless of the result I have never been disappointed by his effort. I checked his form and became aware that he was a horse who took about four runs to get into good form and preferred harder tracks, although he has won on dead tracks. Most importantly he wins or runs the place at good odds when he is in form and at his preferred distances.
He’s not a Group horse and may never be, having failed in the 2013 Group 3 Moonee Valley Cup behind Precedence in one of his few attempts at this level. However, in his next start at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day he won the 2800-metre race in what was another gutsy effort. His connections would have been ecstatic.
So, as per usual I didn’t back him in his first three runs this preparation. His fourth run in was a jump in class to the 2000-metre Ararat Cup. I backed him each way but heavily the place. I thought there were a few good horses in the field and he started at $14.00 and $4.00 the place.
When they jumped in the Ararat Cup Mujadale missed the start by a length. Great. Having travelled 300 metres he was now second last but three deep. Great. He then went to second and sat there to the home turn . Great.
Then, at the home turn he went to lead. I was expecting him to drop out quickly, but he kicked. Would he run a place? No. He kicked and kicked again and won the Ararat Cup by short margin. The ride by Kevin Forrester was also very good because he showed a lot of composure and faith in the horse.
So Saturday was the Ballarat Cup. 2200 metres. The favourite was Spinderella who was scratched at the barrier. The odds of every runner tumbled but when they jumped Mujadale was still at $10.00 and paying $3.60 the place. (However he’d come in from $17.00).
They jumped and Kevin Forrester was quick to take Mujadale to the lead. At the first turn Forrester looked around to see how close the opposition was to him. I liked this because I thought, this guy has a plan and looks like he’s on a mission. They were two lengths ahead. At the 1000 and the 600 he was six lengths in front.
At the home turn he was now two lengths ahead and the caller was calling out ‘Here come the challengers’. And the challengers came but Kevin Forrester said ‘Let’s go’ and Mujadale not only kicked but booted away. Forrester was riding like it was a Melbourne Cup, so I thought what the hell. So I let go with ‘Go Muja, go Muja!’.
Ballarat boy Kevin Forrester, now 53, won his first Ballarat Cup. Congratulations Kev.
Mujadale is seven years old so the career may be over soon, but I think he has a win or two left in him and what I can guarantee is that win lose or fail he will put in for everyone and give the punter a good run for his money and usually at good odds.
Go Muja, go.
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