HORSE RACING
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Jay Ford can take all the plaudits for Night In Venice's cheeky triumph in Monday's Illawarra Turf Club Class 1 and Maiden Plate (2000m) at Kembla Grange.
Caught at the back of a moderate tempo, the classy hoop scooted the locally-trained gelding around the field at the 1000-metres mark for what proved a winning move.
Night In Venice held a five-lengths lead at the top of the straight and held off fast-finishing Off The Bench at the post to salute at fixed odds of $36.
Trainer Gwenda Markwell was pleased by the Group 1-winning jockey's decision.
"It was good to see him make a move in the race and get him wound up and going," she told Sky Racing after the event.
"I was [happy about the move] and I was surprised he kept going. It was a move to take a chance with and it worked."
It was Markwell's only winner on the card but extended her lead atop the Kembla Trainers' Premiership.
She is all but assured of claiming her 13th straight title at her home track with 24 winners for the season and only two meetings remaining.
Markwell will head to Canterbury on Wednesday with two hopes for the afternoon.
In-form jockey Peter Wells will pilot both and first links with Moneylegs in the Bledisloe Cup Festival Handicap (1200m).
"I thought Moneylegs first run was full of merit. The 1000m was probably a bit short for her but she is a tough mare," Wells said.
"She will probably sit on the speed and we will have to navigate a track forward. She is tough, so I don't expect her to be too far away to be honest.
"She ran super at Kembla first-up, so she will only get better from that."
Wells will also ride Shelley's Girl in the TAB Place Multi Handicap (1900m). The mare won last start at Canterbury but has been handed barrier 13 on Wednesday.
"She drew a lot better last start than she did this time, so the barrier is obviously my main concern," Wells said.
"Saying that, you can't get better than winning form, particularly winning form in town. She has that on the board. She is getting up to a distance which is a little unknown. She has won around the mile mark but is stepping up to the 1900m around Canterbury."