Stuart honours Brown at Addington

Rangiora horseman Andrew Stuart honoured his good friend and mentor Murray Brown at Addington today when Moonlite Blood (Art Major) won the Remembering Murray Brown Mobile Pace.

Brown passed away last Tuesday and a large crowd including Stuart, attended his funeral at  Ascot Park Raceway in Invercargill yesterday.

Brown trained 551 winners and was Southland’s leading trainer seven times. He trained Mystery Guy to win at Gore in September 1989 for Andrew’s father Doug who has a share in the ownership of Moonlite Blood.

“He (Brown) sent Mystery Guy out to Dad’s for me to jog up because he was at the Freezing Works. I was only a kid. Mystery Guy won his second start at Gore and I caught the bug,” Andrew said.

Stuart also worked for Brown during the school holidays.

“He gave me the confidence to have a crack and back my own judgement. He was one of those sorts of fellas. He was full of confidence himself.”

In today’s race, driver Robbie Close settled the five year old three back on the outside. He brought him wide turning in and at the end of the 1980 metres Moonlite Blood which wore Brown’s race day colours, had a length and a half to spare over Santanna Mach.

MOONLITE BLOOD REPLAY

“We’ll race him through the winter at Addington and see where he gets to. He’ll be a good mid-grade horse. We’ve got a lot of new owners in him who are enjoying racing a horse.”

It was the gelding’s fourteenth start and second win.

“The breed takes a bit of time and Shane (breeder Shane Kirwan) has got his own land. So we broke the horse in early and left him in the paddock. We brought him back as a three year old, worked him up and qualified him. He won a race and we spelled him again and I’d like to think he’s stronger this prep.”

Moonlite Blood is out of Blood Moon, a Bettor’s Delight daughter of Miss Moonlite, the winner of thirteen races including the Group One Breeders Crown for four year old mares.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink