Hidden Detail wins at Moree: Bradley Photos.
It was a bittersweet result as Hidden Detail won the 1400m Maiden Plate for Juliet Partridge at Moree last Friday.
Not because it had taken seven starts for the Anders gelding to win his maiden, but because the stable and region were still reeling from the sudden passing of respected horseman Guy Tribe.
A popular clerk of the course and good friend of Troy, Jemma, and the team, Guy’s passing left a mark on the stable.
“It was good to get a win, but the red was licked off the lollipop after a tough week,” O’Neill said.
“Still, for the stable, it was a result we needed.”
It was a full-circle moment in some ways, with Tribe having played a role in Hidden Detail ending up in O’Neill’s care.
“Guy bought the brother of Hidden Detail online, and when I went to pick it up for him, the fella selling it said, ‘Do you want to take two?’” O’Neill reflected.
“Guy didn’t want two horses, so I did a deal with the bloke and bought it cheap, and Guy put the ownership together. So, to get a win with that horse was pretty special.”
O’Neill didn’t shy away from the fact it had been a very hard week and thanked everyone for their support.
“Racing NSW were good; they had people in contact with us, and the Chaplain from Racing NSW has been fantastic,” O’Neill said.
“Phil O’Brien and Pat Webster contacted us a few times, and they’ll hold a BBQ here at Tamworth in a few weeks to continue that support through Racing Mates.”
While pleased to celebrate a win with Hidden Detail at Moree, the following day O’Neill was in Sydney as Mr Chips hit the line strongly in the 1400m Class Three Highway Handicap.
It was a very encouraging run, and connections are now considering the 1600m Class Three Highway Handicap at Newcastle on Saturday, November 14.
“We were rapt with his effort and the run,” O’Neill said.
“He had a tough run in transit; nothing took him into it and he had to do it all himself but he ran well, and if he doesn’t drop too many points, we’ll be heading to that race at Newcastle.”
O’Neill’s attention now turns to Armidale on Sunday, where the in-form Albert’s Pick will contest the 1300m Benchmark 58 Handicap.
A winner over 1200m at Tamworth in September, the four-year-old D’Argento mare came out at Newcastle late last month and ran a big race behind Kermitisapet in the 1150m Class One Handicap, finishing a good second.
Jenny Duggan has been booked for the ride, and connections have drawn kindly from gate three.