Above: Enzed, ridden perfectly by Nick Ryan, powers home to down Southern Crown on Tuesday.Brad Kingsbury
DANDENONG magistrate Edwin Batt spent Melbourne Cup working, but not in court.
He was indulging his passion for horses as strapper for Moe trainer Allison Bennett and had the thrill of looking after a winner on Australia’s most famous race day of the year.
Enzed, a seven-year-old gelding which won this year’s Grand National Hurdle at Flemington, powered through the field on Tuesday in the 2800-metre Lavazza Handicap to run down leader Southern Crown and add another $65,000 prize money to his kitty.
The honest stayer has now won more than $220,000, and Batt said the race had been the horse’s spring target.
“He stays well and I was confident he would run well,” he said.
“It was a great run and it’s great to be part of such a day.”
Batt, who lives at Warragul and sits at the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court, has been friends with the Bennett family for 30 years and was more than happy to handle the horse, which he believed was underrated.
“He’d have to win a Melbourne Cup before anyone would like him,” he said of the $26 winner.
“He’s a bit of a handful to deal with and nobody else likes taking him to the races. That’s okay with me, though. We get on just fine.”
– Brad Kingsbury
