Griffiths Racing mourns Moonee Valley legend Dandy Kid

Daily Telegraph

3 days ago

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The Robbie Griffiths stable is lamenting the loss of a stable favourite that became an integral part of history at The Valley.
Griffiths Racing confirmed the passing of the former smart sprinter Dandy Kid, who won a record 15 races at The Valley in a terrific career that included 19 wins from 87 starts between 1999 and 2006.
'He was an amazing horse to everyone,' Griffiths said.
'To race for eight years, everything changed so much and there were weddings, kids and grandkids among the ownership group while he was racing.'
Dandy Kid died just short of his 29th birthday in a year in which racing will cease under the current configuration at The Valley as the track undergoes redevelopment.
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Griffiths said he and the late form expert Deane Lester picked out Dandy Kid from a paddock at Berrigan but the stable favourite spent most of his life in Cranbourne and spelling at Cloverdale agistment property that was operated by the late sports broadcaster Drew Morphett and his wife Kaz.
'He retired to that property and lived there for the last 19 years of his life,' Griffiths said.
'He was beautiful and sound all the time he was enjoying retirement. He never needed the vets, just the stock-standard maintenance a horse needs.
'He started his career as a winner of his first four and he finished as a winner as a 10-year-old.
'They can't beat his record at Moonee Valley now as the track is changing.
'I'm glad he chose Moonee Valley to be great at, not Manangatang.'
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Dandy Kid was also good enough to win the Listed Vain Stakes during his run of four straight wins to start his career.
He also claimed the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield in 2000, beating that year's Newmarket Handicap winner Miss Pennymoney.
Seven riders won on Dandy Kid with the now Queensland-based jockey Ryan Maloney topping the tally with five wins on the grand sprinter while Rikki Cartwright was aboard for the gelding's first four wins.
Griffiths said Dandy Kid was a handful on the training track but a great horse for apprentices to ride early in their careers, noting several Group 1-winning jockeys, including Luke Currie and Craig Newitt, won on the speedster as apprentices.
'He was a prick to ride at trackwork,' Griffiths said.
'I'd ride him in all his gallops and he'd pull like crazy. But he was a gentleman on raceday.
'Not many senior riders rode him but some superstar jockeys won on him as apprentices.'
Originally published as Moonee Valley win record holder Dandy Kid dies aged 28