Glorious Sydney farewell for Queensland-bound hoop

Jockey Heavelon Van Der Hoven ended his Sydney stint on a high, securing his first metropolitan victory in NSW at his final meeting before shifting to Brisbane. Van Der Hoven steered the Jim and Greg Lee-trained Glorious Moments ($3.80 equal favourite) to an effortless 4-1/4 length win in The Agency Real Estate Handicap (1300m) at Randwick.

“I wish it happened earlier, but I’m very grateful for the opportunity and to the team for giving me the support that they have here,” Van Der Hoven said. “Hopefully I can stay on him.”

After back-to-back wins this preparation, Glorious Moments appears destined for bigger targets, and Van Der Hoven said he would gladly travel back to ride him again. “He was a bit soft in the run. He didn’t know when to travel and when to relax,” the jockey said. “He is still raw and he’s very exciting. He’s got a good turn of foot which in the future will be a clear advantage.”

Glorious Moments is prepared by the Lee brothers, who have long been part of Randwick’s training ranks and famously trained 1983 Caulfield Cup winner Hayai, along with more recent stakes winners like Fouardee and Keepin’ The Dream.

Earlier on the program, consistent mare Oh Diamond Lil ($2.70 favourite) made it three wins from five starts this campaign with a tough two-length success in the Mostyn Cooper Handicap (1600m) for trainer David Pfieffer. The four-year-old tracked Aberlour ($4.20) throughout before proving too strong late, with the top two clearing out from the rest of the field.

Pfieffer said the mare would have a brief break before aiming at higher-level targets, including the Group 3 Belle Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Gosford later this year. “She has always been a horse who has promised a lot to us. We just had to wait for it,” Pfieffer said. “Ideally, we want to get black type for her down the track somewhere. Imagine her leading around Gosford? It’s five months away but you’ve got to think ahead.”

Future options may also include Melbourne races and a shot at the Big Dance Wild Card. Betting markets for these races are already open with top betting sites.