Moorditj Boy was in a race of his own winning the TABtouch Hcp (1200m) by four lengths from a well-beaten field at Belmont on Wednesday.
The Hayden Ballantyne-trained 3yo jumped straight to the front at his second start and that’s the last they saw of him. The race was all over at the top of the straight as jockey Jarrad Noske just shook the reins to keep his mind on the job.
“That’s a great start to the new season and he made easy work of it,” Ballantyne said. “He has plenty of ability but was injured in the lead-up to the Magic Millions Classic earlier this year. He came back in super order after spelling and then struck a Heavy 8 first-up.
“I’ve got a lot of time for him. He’s learning race by race and is getting better and better.”
Moorditj means great or strong in the Noongar language and he sported special Indigenous racing colours designed by the sister of Ballantyne’s former Fremantle Dockers team-mate Roger Hayden.
The well-named son of G1 Randwick Guineas winner Dissident (Sebring) is raced by a ladies syndicate managed by Alyssa Ballantyne after making $60,000 at the 2022 Perth Magic Millions. Moorditj Boy was part of the Western Breeders Alliance consignment as agent for Darling View Thoroughbreds Director Clive Atwell.
His dam Across The Moon (Stratum) was targeted by Atwell for $52,000 at the 2019 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale at Riverside Stables. The mare’s value increased last year when her So You Think sprinter Rocketing By won the G3 Sydney Stakes (1200m) at Randwick. She will visit Darling View champion Playing God this year.
Ballantyne’s 5yo mare Vogue’s Choice completed a Belmont hat-trick in Saturday’s Crown Perth Hcp (1000m). She is a daughter of Darling View sire Patronize and was Ballantyne’s first-ever Magic Millions purchase at the 2020 Swan Valley Yearling Sale.
