Maher and Eustace land early Valley treble

Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have continued their remarkable start to the 2020-21 racing term with an early winning treble at Moonee Valley in the first four races.

They were successful with How Womantic, Flash Flood and Junipal and have now trained 13 Victorian city winners this season with a strike rate of close to 24 per cent.

Eustace said three-year-old colt Flash Flood, who won the Drummond Golf Handicap (1500m), was a really nice horse who was still learning his craft.

While still a bit green, Eustace felt adding winkers to Flash Flood had really helped and he could be suited up to 2000 metres.

Four-year-old mare How Womantic took her record to five wins from six starts when she led throughout for a narrow victory.

Eustace was full of praise for apprentice Lachlan Niendorf’s all-the-way win on her to take out the opening race for fillies and mares over 1200 metres.

“I thought he gave her a beautiful ride,” Eustace said.

“He rated her very well and credit to him. He’s a young kid going places, obviously.”

Eustace said although How Womantic’s pedigree suggested she should want further, he thought 1200 metres was her pet distance and they would stick to that trip.

Junipal returned this campaign as a gelding and Eustace felt he was racing at his peak.

He said Junipal now had enough ratings points to gain a start in the Toorak Handicap and he might go to that race via the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes

In Junipal’s race, Dwayne Dunn was injured when his mount Shot Of Irish reared at the start, causing the jockey to hit his head on the barrier stalls.

Shot Of Irish came out 10 lengths behind the field and stayed in last position throughout.

Dunn needed assistance from the clerk of the course on pulling up and complained of neck and head soreness after the race.

Dunn was stood down by Racing Victoria stewards for the rest of the meeting.