Cat goes to Melbourne and WINS!!

[Nerula 1,403]

Story in Autumn Owners Bulletin by my pal Cat Williams. 

Sorry script pasted as small and pic didnt download. NM

NEWMARKET GROUP 1 –
DREAMS DO COME TRUE

101-1 odds, homebred, the Group1 Newmarket, beating the Aussies at what they do best – YES it’s possible!

First though, let’s wind back to the beginning of the week when I popped up to Karaka for 48hrs to support the LA team in the sales tent. Fully aware that Covid was running rampant in the City of Sails I decided to only spend two days there in the hope of not falling ill.. Thankfully, succeed we did which made up for the masked crusader look I’d taken on.

Over the next couple of days of the Sales I kept saying to Sam “Roch ‘N’ Horse, do you think she’s a chance?” “I do!” he said (uttered with the same energy and passion he’d given on our wedding day.) Thus was planted the idea of kicking off the logistics of a possible hit and run (and collect) to Melbourne.

In years gone by it would have been simple: book your ticket, pack your passport and reserve a bed en-route to the airport but with Covid the planning had to be extensive. I had said to myself that if I hit a brick wall during the planning process and it all becomes too hard then it wasn’t meant to be, no problem, watch it from home, it doesn’t matter. This happened at the airport when one piece of the stream of Covid-required documentation wasn’t appearing where it should, despite it being viewable on my phone. A close friend and neighbour was determined to help and her dogged persistence got me on the plane with two minutes to spare.

Melbourne, beautiful weather, I managed to find a “wheelly” accessible room despite the whole of Australia deciding Melbourne was the place to be that weekend and I gathered a few Aussie based friends who were keen to come and play. I’d tried to secure a NZ friend to travel with but I realised I was asking a lot, it was very short notice. So: “I can do this by myself, get on with it!”

The crazy thing is, I was so incredibly lucky, everything just fell into place. I caught up with a gorgeous friend for dinner on Friday, who joined me with her daughter on race day, an old school friend had arrived in Melbourne a few hours after me as she had been visiting her family in NZ and said she was definitely coming to the races for some fun despite only being home a few hours. And a gorgeous couple I’d met in Perth and had moved to Geelong happened to be in the city for their sons interschool swimming finals...there was no way they were not coming to play.

Race day arrived and I enjoyed a beautiful Saturday breakfast with friends. A lovely start and although they couldn’t come to the races the fascinator I wore had been made by her. It’s known to be my lucky one.

I arrived at the races early and had a lovely conversation with a couple who were Flemington regulars and on further discussion found he was a committee member. They wanted to know where I was from and why I was there so like a good Kiwi I gave them the Roch ’N’ Horse story... I said she unofficially broke a course record with Levante at Trentham, last Group 1 start – but the bookies seem to have missed this.

My friends arrived, we went round to the stables and the strappers admitted to Rochy being a bit ‘wound-up’ but she was OK now ...I had two people I needed to chat to ... trainer Mike Moroney and jockey Patrick Maloney. Mike’s right hand guy Anthony ensured I got my owners worth with both. I asked Mike about Pat? “Tell me about Pat, I believe he hasn’t won a Group 1?” “Well...” said Mike “He’s the sort of guy you’d like as your son-in law” “I’m not looking for a son-in-law Mike... we send you the best horse we’ve ever had and...” I replied with raised eyebrows.

I met Pat. The message I thought I gave him was “Pat, ride this horse like she’s the best in the race, because she is.” Evidently the message he received was “I’ve come a jolly long way and with the wheelchair it hasn’t been easy so give it y’all!” Pat and I held eye contact for the whole conversation and it finished with Pat saying “I promise to do my best for you all” and I said “Don’t do it for us, do it for you.”

On to Rochy he gets – and she saunters around the parade area like it’s hers. She seems to have that Usain Bolt swagger. She looked like she knew they were all here to see her and she owned that privilege. I turned to my friends and said, “My goodness imagine being favourite, how fun is it going in as underdog?”

At that moment I looked up and saw Tony Santic, the owner of Makybe Diva. A favourite memory of Flemington was on a girls trip with Sarah Wilson and Gin Warby to watch Makybe Diva win her third Melbourne Cup. That was seventeen years ago. When we arrived on course that day we spotted Tony and Gin went over and asked if we could have our photo with him ... “It’s a sign,” she said and loaded up her punt on Makybe and as they say the rest is history. When I saw Tony there again, I wanted to go and say “Hi” but didn’t get up the courage, instead I kept telling myself “It’s a lucky omen, it’s a great day.”

The race starts, they split into two groups as predicted, one jock seriously did not want
to race on our side and yanked over to the outside rail. Rochy is a good spot, she pulls out, looks like her side is in front, yes it is, she’s moving forward, she’s in front, I think she’s won, has she won? YEEESSSS! OMG dreams really can come true! Photos, pats on the back, photos, texts, champagne, photos, hugs... did I mention photos? My gorgeous school friend said “Catriona I feel like a movie star, people keep requesting my photo.”

We met the couple who I’d met at the entrance and they showed me their ticket... they said “we loved talking to you so much we backed her $40 each way!” So many
had backed her. We now have all these new found friends. It truly was a once in a lifetime experience that I’m now planning to do
all over again... hopefully next time all the owners are there and of course Sam!

You’ve gotta have a dream!

LA -BIG ON WINNING!