Having raced at Flemington, Rosehill and Ascot at his last three starts, the Matthew Dale trained Front Page travelled to his fourth different state in as many starts, winning the $300,000 G2 BRC Moreton Cup at Eagle Farm.
Second in the Group 1 The Galaxy two starts back behind boom colt Private Harry (Harry Angel), connections headed to Western Australia last start for the $5m Quokka, where the 8yo son of Magnus unfortunately couldn’t match it with the locals, finishing down the track.
Having previously had one start at Eagle Farm when fourth behind Antino (Redwood) in the Group 2 Victory Stakes last season, jockey Tim Clark settled Front Page in second position in the run behind Tony Gollan's race favourite Hidden Wealth (Better Than Ready) who had flown the gates and took up the lead.
Racing about five off the rail, Hidden Wealth cornered in front and appeared to be doing it very well under Tommy Berry.
Meanwhile, Tim Clark had got to work on Front Page, who, like Spacewalk (Exosphere) was starting to make ground.
Hitting the lead at the 100m mark, Front Page pulled clear to win the race, his first at Group level and eighth win overall, taking his earnings past $3.5m from his 29 starts which includes consecutive wins in the $2m Kosciuszko.
Hidden Wealth finished a length off the winner in second, while the Ciaron Maher trained Warnie (IRE) (Highland Reel) produced a sensational effort to come from the tail, weaving through the field late to be beaten just over a length with a ‘back me next start’ written all over him.
"He's just an absolute beauty. We came up here today rapt with how the horse was,” enthused Dale after the victory.
“We were a bit deflated when the races were called off. The track has dried out all week but the track is still a bit choppy, and at the top of the straight I thought we were in a little bit of trouble. But he was prepared to get down and dirty and tough it out.
“I didn't think he looked as comfortable as he does on a good surface, but Timmy [Clark] knows him well and he did a great job sitting off Hidden Wealth.
“I'm rapt for the owners, they give me free rein to do whatever I need to do with this horse. We had to pump his tyres up again after they were deflated in the Quokka. He just doesn't go well in that direction, and that has been rubber stamped by his win here today."
Jockey Tim Clark was also suitably impressed with Front Page’s effort.
"I've only got on this horse later in his career, but I was extremely proud of him there today,” stated Clark.
“I felt for him a lot earlier than I was hoping to, and I thought we were in some trouble between the 500 and the 300-metre marks. But he dug deep and was extremely brave.
“Congrats to Matty for getting him back from Perth, freshening him up and turning him out in such good order today. He knows the horse so well and he's been an old marvel."
Retained to race by his breeders, Front Page is a brother to the dual Group 3 placed News Girl both being out of the five-time-winning Bel Espirt mare Stacey Lee.
Stacy Lee’s final foal before she passed away in December 2022, also by Magnus, is the 2yo filly Corningstone who is yet to race, but is in the stable of Matthew Dale, just like her older brother.
