Photo: Lesley Warwick
Bullbars gelding Nudge Bar was a popular winner of the last race on Mornington Cup Day on Saturday.
Held up for a run at Moonee Valley the week prior, jockey Thomas Stockdale had no issues getting the four-year-old clear to win the Neds Same Race Multi Handicap (1600m).
“Last start he was very stiff,” said Stockdale. “I just couldn’t get out but today we drew perfectly (barrier 2) and had the economical run.”
Stockdale said he was happy to ride a winner for trainer Peter Gelagotis as he and his brother Manny Gelagotis were friends of his mother at High School, a sentiment the brothers echoed.
“It’s great for Thomas,” said Manny Gelagotis. “We have a bit of history there, we know his parents very well, so really thrilled that there’s a friendship and a connection there and it’s great to see Thomas ride a winner for us.”
Gelagotis said the decision to back Nudge Bar up was made following that disappointing run at Moonee Valley the week prior.
“The horse was very unlucky at Moonee Valley he sort of barely got into a gallop so we decided to back him up because the calendar looked a little bit light for him,” he said.
“He was extremely well weighted, he dropped down to 52.5kg and he’s a multiple city winner in his last preparation, so we’ve always sort of liked the horse and it was just really great to get a result today and put to bet what happened last Friday and it was a really terrific effort and a great ride.”
Nudge Bar’s large group of owners includes Gelagotis’s soccer buddies, a group from Singapore and the Woodgates, whose property was devastated in the fires, who Gelagotis said would get a lift out of the win.
Bred by K J Booth and Miss S L Wood, Nudge Bar is by Bullbars out of the Ishiguru mare Ishiarose, this was the fourth win of his career and it took his career earnings to over $A140,000.
He was sold to Gelagotis Racing and Stephen Gray out of Highview's 2017 NZB Select Yearling Sale draft for $70,000.
View the replay of this race here: https://www.racing.com/form/20...
