Trainer Richard Hannon was wreathed in smiles following the victory of Pether's Moon in the Group One Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom this afternoon.
The 11/1 shot was given a peach of a ride by Pat Dobbs, who was riding his first Group One winner, and the pair got up in the shadows of the post to record a neck victory over the 8/11 favourite Dolniya.
Hannon was quick to praise Dobbs following the race.
"John Manley, the owner, feels the horse goes really well for Pat which is why he rode him," said Hannon.
"John has always wanted a good horse, they are very hard to find and that's why people have offered so much money for him. He has really enjoyed this horse - he is on the phone all of the time, he picks a lot of the races himself and Pether's Moon could go to Melbourne but I don't know.
"Pat has given him a super ride. He does pull up in front - he did that in Turkey - and Hughsie has ridden some lovely races on him as well but he really goes for Dobbsy. I thought that we were going to be lucky to be second at one stage.
"Our jockeys have got big boots to fill next season (due to the retirement of stable jockey Richard Hughes at the end of the season) and we need to have people in place that the owners have confidence in and like and Pat's done his chances no harm at all with a ride like that.
"Pether's Moon has always been a lovely horse. He's been round the circuit a little bit and it's great for Peter and Ross (Doyle) who bought the horse at Fairyhouse for 52,000 euros.
"He deserves it. He pulls up a bit in front but he's a horse with loads of ability. I can't explain his last run (beaten 18 lengths into third in the Group Two Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket in May) which was moderate but we've taken our time with him since then and it's paid off. This isn't something I saw coming so I've not really made any future plans but I'm sure we'll find something nice for him.
"Everyone jokes about us not having middle distance horses but we just don't get sent many of them. We try and buy a different sort of horse and this is something that the yard has needed for a while. We can train them over any kind of trip - don't worry about that. We just need the right kit that's all."
Pether's Moon created a shock when winning the four-runner Investec Coronation Cup at 11/1 and becoming a first Group One winner for jockey Pat Dobbs.
Dobbs, 37, a freelance rider who has long been associated with the yard run by Richard Hannons Senior and Junior in Wiltshire, hails from County Wexford. He has ridden a number of key winners for the Hannons, but never before at the top level.
Before taking his first Investec Derby ride on Moheet, who is trained by Hannon Junior, Dobbs said of Pether's Moon: "He was very good there - he has loads of speed, but he just pulls himself up when he gets to the front, so even though I got to the lead I had to keep him going in the last 50 yards. He's very honest and relaxed, and I just wanted cover for as long as possible.
"He's run some good races, and he goes on any ground, but I wasn't sure he would handle the track. When you have a horse that is going forward they make room for themselves and can get out of places - it's the bad ones that you can't get a run on.
"It's well worth the wait [for a Group One win], but I didn't think we could beat the two French horses [Dolniya and Flintshire who were second and third].
Of Moheet he said: "He's a very capable horse, so I'll just try to get him into a rhythm and hope for the best. If he settles he should run a good race. He's grown up and has settled down, so if he handles the preliminaries he should run well."
Dolnyia, the 8/11 favourite, finished second by a neck after being passed by the 11/1 winner Pether's Moon in the shadow of the winning post in the Group One Investec Coronation Cup.
Dolniya, who won the Group One Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan on her last start, is trained in France by Alain De Royer Dupre, who said: "With four runners you have a tactical race and we had to go in front. The other horse [Pether's Moon] had more turn of foot.
"I think Dolniya's next race will be the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud [June 28]."
