Mossin’ Around back after escaping fire

Mossin’ Around returns to the races at Moonee Valley just two weeks after escaping unharmed from a harrowing experience when her horse float caught fire.

The Grahame Begg-trained mare, who runs in Saturday’s Jacob Schweppe Handicap, was unplaced first-up at Caulfield last Saturday week.

But things got worse when she was being transported home to her stable at her trainer’s Mornington Peninsula base.

“The float caught on fire coming home on the Peninsula Link. You wouldn’t believe it,” Begg said.

“We were very lucky there was only one horse on the truck, and the girl (strapper) got off with the horse on the side of the highway, just with a head collar and a lead rope. And that was it.

“There was only the driver and the strapper and we were very lucky in that sense that there was only one horse on the truck. Had there been six horses or eight horses on the truck they would have been in a lot of trouble.”

Begg, who was following about half an hour behind in his car, said the mare had also luckily behaved herself while on the side of the road before being picked up by another float not long after and taken home.

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“She never had any ill effect,” Begg said.

He is happy to take her back to the races on Saturday and wouldn’t be surprised if she bounces back from a disappointing first-up run given he said the mare jarred up that day when finishing seventh of 10.

“It was just a matter of how she came through that race,” he said.

“On the day that she ran it was a really hot day. She pulled a plate off in the run and we felt that she really felt the track. She sort of jarred up and never really hit out.

“She looked disappointing and on paper she was disappointing, but I felt there was a legitimate excuse.”

Begg has reapplied blinkers on Saturday, which Mossin’ Around hasn’t worn since she ran second to Risque in the Kevin Hayes Stakes early last year,.

The trainer believes the blinkers and the Moonee Valley track will have a positive effect on the mare.

“Moonee Valley is always a bit more forgiving surface and they’re also forecasting a bit of rain for tomorrow, so she should relish that,” he said.