The Moe stables of Peter Gelagotis have had a great run of late, with Mr Wonderful and Youl Dash For Cash both recent city winners and Rostock and Moss ’n’ Dale impressive provincial victors.
Stable  manager Manny Gelagotis confirmed this week the team, headed by Mourinho and The Cleaner, was well placed as spring draws closer.
They’re progressing well,” said Gelagotis. “Mourinho will resume in the Memsie Stakes (Caulfield July 27) and The Cleaner kicks off in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes (Caulfield August 13).
Recent Queensland Group 1 winner Malaguerra is due to return to work towards the end of July after enjoying a brief spell in the warmer climate (Queensland).
Highly promising galloper Illustrious Lad will begin his campaign in mid-September, with the stable keen to test him in good company.”
Exciting times ahead.
Return of Man
Bairnsdale trainer Jackson Pallot has the very popular stable star Marlo Man in Sunday’s Spencer Memorial Steeplechase (3500 metres) at Pakenham. Marlo Man recently created history when he became the first horse to win a jumps race on the new track at Pakenham (Racing.com Park).
“He’s done great, since the Pakenham win,” said Pallot, who described that victory as something quite special.
“There was plenty of pressure on (due to so many owners attending),” he chuckled. “The old man brought a three-seater bus down (from Bairnsdale), and there were a couple of other big crews there as well. One lot came from Echuca. We lost a horse a couple days prior so it was great to bounce back,”
The free-running Marlo Man will give another great sight this weekend.
Breakthrough victory
Bayles trainer Craig Anderson won’t forget last Friday’s Pakenham meeting in a hurry, with his four-year-old mare Give Us A Go (Anthony Darmanin aboard) giving the New Zealand-born horseman his first win as a trainer.
Give Us A Go impressively won the a 1200-metre maiden on the synthetic track.
Anderson moved to Australia in 2000, after working for successful trainers Richard Otto, Graeme Sanders and Ian Vincent.
After moving to Melbourne he joined Lee Freedman’s operation at Caulfield (and strapped Don Eduardo when won the 2002 AJC Derby) before spending many years working for John McArdle at Mornington.
These days, Anderson works at the Heath Hill property of Caulfield trainer Brendan McCarthy, whilst “playing around” with two or three horses at home.
“I’ve had my licence for a couple of years and I’m still on a high (over the Pakenham win),” Anderson said.
 “I ride my own slow work. My knees are no good from playing rugby) so Gavin Brady (former top picnic rider) does the faster stuff.
“I’m proud of the mare (Give Us A Go). She had plenty of feet problems early on. We’ll look for another suitable race on the synthetic track for her in the coming weeks.”
Anderson has another potential winner in his stable – He’s Harry. “He looks capable but he works better than he races,” the trainer said.
One to follow
Inkulu (ex-Freedman galloper) has performed well in both runs for Moe trainer Len Xuereb (ex-Freedman), having been narrowly defeated at Moe and Sale. He has a liking for wet tracks and should break through in the near future.