Left: Cranbourne trainer Robbie Griffiths with his sentimental stable star Dandy Kid, which was retired after claiming the all-time win record at Moonee Valley on Saturday.By Brad Kingsbury
VETERAN Cranbourne sprinter Dandy Kid was the toast of Moonee Valley on Saturday after winning a record-breaking 15th race at the track and then being immediately retired.
Leading Cranbourne horseman Robbie Griffiths said after the much-loved 10-year-old gelding’s sensational effort that the horse had nothing left to prove and would enjoy the rest of his days in a Pakenham paddock.
The sentimental favourite, a betting drifter at $11, sat off the leaders in the run and then powered to the line to hold out Stylish Sunset and win the Tattersall’s Handicap over 1200 metres by a short half head.
The crowd rose as one to applaud the horse as apprentice jockey Michael Guthrie brought Dandy Kid back to scale.
Dandy Kid broke the previous record of 14 wins held by 1950s jumper Van Perri with the victory.
The gelding cost only $10,000 and his owners’ syndicate has raced the gelding successfully for almost seven seasons.
His best win was the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes in 2000, and Saturday’s win took Dandy Kid’s prize money to just over $800,000 from 52 starts that included 19 wins and 16 placings over distances ranging from 1000-1500 metres.
The record-breaking win took 14 months to achieve, with Dandy Kid’s previous win being on 25 June 2005.
