Dalton shines as O'Rourke's Moon lands 80/1 win Apprentice jockey Jimmy Dalton kept it simple when guiding the once-raced Purple Moon to an impressive win in the Thomastown Maiden at Gowran Park. Prominent from the outset, Dalton moved third on the Pat O'Rourke owned and trained four-year-old entering the straight, Second over two-furlongs out, Dalton led on the 80/1 outsider a furlong from home, skipping clear for a five-and-a-half length win. Pat O’Rourke said: “It didn’t happen for him first time. He was too free and it was over after the first furlong. I thought he’d be in the first four at the Curragh. “He did it nicely tonight. He’s a good horse and he’ll get further. He’s related to another horse called Purple Moon, who was second in the Melbourne Cup. “He’s for sale now. He was impressive and was going away at the finish. It’s nice to have a good one. The last one I had was Shaool, that I sold to Johnny Murtagh, and she won a Listed race. “Hopefully somebody will buy him off me now. He’s a home-bred and I wouldn’t have got 5 pound for him as a yearling but he’s entitled to get sold off that. “If he’s not sold at home he’ll go to the sales at Newmarket for the Guineas sale.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson.
