Peter Moody has parted ways with the owners of a horse he trained after an expletive-laden recording he had sent them, which criticised the jockey who rode their horse on the weekend, was shared.
Moody had sent a private audio update to the owners of Amalgamation following the Dundeel gelding’s heavy defeat – by eight lengths – in Saturday’s $175,000 Cranbourne Classic, in which he blamed the jockey for failing to ride to instructions.
Trainer Peter Moody has apologised to the jockey who was the subject of an audio message he sent.Credit:Pat Scala
But the link to the audio spread like wildfire via social media on Sunday, leading to Moody apologise to the jockey in a tweet. He also posted that “the client” would no longer be associated with his stable.
“In view of a audio report from myself to clients in regards to [the] jockey … I wish to publicly apologise to [him] for this unprofessional and unacceptable behaviour toward him (sic),” Moody, who trained Black Caviar, tweeted on Sunday night.
“I have also privately done this. Unlike the client … [he] will continue to be part of MR [Moody Racing].”
The three-year-old horse has since been transferred from Moody’s Pakenham stable to the Melbourne Cup-winning Cranbourne combination of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
Amalgamation has had just three starts and finished no better than eighth, with Moody telling owners in the post-race audio update that he was yet to discover the horse’s full potential due to the way it had been ridden.
“I’m trying to ascertain what ability this horse has got, and I’m just learning nothing from a ride like that,” Moody said.
“He was just given no chance to show up in the race at all. I wanted him in a flowing position where he could learn something, and we could learn something, and he just continually dragged him back and then when they quickened … he just left him totally flat-footed.”
In the audio, Moody also accused the jockey of being out of form in other rides for the stable.
“His last few horses he’s ridden for me, he’s just ridden them disgraceful, I could’ve ridden them better myself,” he said.
The jockey was also beaten on Black Caviar’s daughter Invincible Caviar at Moonee Valley on Friday night, trained by Moody.
The four-year-old mare, who had won her two prior starts and was a heavy favourite in the race, became fractious at the gates and was vetted before the jump and cleared to run.
But she weakened quickly over the last 150 metres and ran last, with the jockey telling stewards he felt something went amiss with the horse before he eased her down.
According to the stewards report, “a post-race veterinary examination revealed the mare to be lame in the left hind leg”, which explained the poor performance. The mare will require a veterinary clearance before she can race again.
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