The centre of the racing universe for all those in Australia was in Narromine on Thursday and Terry Fahey produced a win worthy of the occasion.
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With every other race meet suspended pending the results of COVID-19 tests on jockey Mark Zahra who may have been exposed on a commercial flight on March 12, Narromine Turf Club played host to the only thoroughbred meeting in the country.
Therefore the meeting gained a huge amount of attention, with 'Narromine' trending second on Twitter nationally behind #Covid19Australia at one point.
With plenty tuning in, rugby league legend-turned-trainer Terry Fahey took out the day's first race with Carnegie's Monaco.
The win was a long-awaited one as it was the five-year-old's first in career start number 28.
And while the win, which was recorded when Carnegie's Monaco ($8.60) overhauled Mudegonga ($4.60) late on, was a thrill for Fahey he was was more pleased for one of the owners.
Max Freeman has been in hospital for a number of weeks now and Fahey was delighted to put a smile on his face.
"He's life is this horse," Fahey told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
"He says every race is his Melbourne Cup so today he's got his Melbourne Cup.
"Twenty-eight starts and he finally got there. Beautiful."
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While the results on paper hadn't looked like much coming into Thursday's Narromine Shire Council Maiden handicap (1600m), there had been signs of improvement for the gelding in recent times.
However the biggest issues had been ones the horse had created himself, with Fahey lamenting a poor start last time out at Cowra where Carnegie's Monaco ran home well to finish third.
"He just does things wrong in races all the time but hopefully he gets it out of his head and he starts racing now," Fahey added.
"I've always said if he wins one he'll win two or three in a row."
The former South Sydney, St George and Australian representative trains at the Narromine track and another Narromine trainer, Terry Fulwood, was third with Claude's Choice ($51).
But Fulwood's hope was a long way off the leading duo.
The Garry Lunn-trained Mudgegonga wasn't one of the best away but Michael Heagney soon skirted around the outside and got towards the lead.
Carnegie's Monaco was towards the front of the field all race and while he trailed Mudgegonga by roughly two lengths heading into the straight, jockey Ken Dunbar got him to kick wide on the track and he had what it took to secure the win.
Fahey, who has just the three horses in work, reaffirmed his love for the training game post-race.
"I love it. It's really good and I just hope we don't have to close," he said.
"But if it happens, it happens."
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
