Ciaron Maher & David Eustace celebrated a Group 1 quinella under the lights at The Valley on Friday night with their class young filly Coolangatta posting an exciting all-the-way win holding off her brave stablemate Bella Nipotina in the $1 million Moir Stakes (1000m).

2022 Moir Stakes winner Coolangatta was too good for her older rivals over the 1000m at The Valley. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Jockey Jamie Kah took all the luck out of the equation going straight to the lead aboard the speedy three-year-old daughter of Written Tycoon after Coolangatta jumped two in front.

From there she never relinquished the lead and the Magic Millions 2YO Classic winning filly relished the 1000m high-pressure affair with just 50kg on her back to burn off her older rivals.

Pride Of Dubai five-year-old Bella Nipotina loomed as the danger the closing stages coming three-wide at her favourite track, but just ran out of time crossing a neck second behind her younger stablemate who went to another level in the Moir.

The Maher/Eustace stable almost secured the trifecta, but in the end their Snitzel four-year-old Generation was nudged out of third place by the Tony Gollan-trained Zoustyle in another good Moonee Valley placing for the evergreen seven-year-old.

For Kah it was her first elite level win in some time, the now seven-time Group 1 winning jockey thrilled to be back on top having worked hard to make the weight.

“It was so worth it,” she told Racing.com speaking about getting down to 50kg.

“It’s been a long time between drinks since my last Group 1. They’re so hard to win and when you’re on Ciaron’s horses it is a lot easier because he’s got some good horses going around at the moment.

“With Bella coming towards me I was thinking ‘come on, let me have this one!’.

“She (Coolangatta) was tough, but like Ciaron said, I was in the box seat and there wasn’t much speed but when she jumped to the front, she just took luck out of the equation.

“With the weight on her back I was pretty happy cruising along. It is hard do to what she did going against the older horses and do that even with the weight but she’s a star and I’m was happy to be on her at the right time.”

Co-trainer Maher was quick to credit the peach of a ride from Kah, who will be in the spotlight at Sandown on Sunday steer Zaaki in the Group 1 $1 million Underwood Stakes (1800m).

“It was a super ride by Jamie. There’s not too many jockeys that can ride 50 (kg) and ride as well as her at any weight,” Maher said.

The Moir Stakes result saw Coolangatta secure a Group 1 trophy at just her sixth career start as the bonny bay, third in the autumn’s Golden Slipper Stakes, improved on her lead-up third to Rothfire in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at the track.

“I was very confident in the horse and knew the way she pulled up the other day, I knew she had a tough run but she pulled-up very well,” Maher said.

“She was very fit going into it.

“I thought she’d (Kah would be) be sitting behind one, but she took the initiative, she took the luck out of the race.”

The always-honest Bella Nipotina will get her chance to turn the tables with both her and Coolangatta likely returning to the track on October 21 for the Group 1 $2 million Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (1200m) on the eve of the Cox Plate.

Updated all-in 2022 Manikato Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au have Bella Nipotina and Coolangatta installed as equal $8 favourites along with Paulele and Rothfire who ran sixth and fifth respectively with excuses in the Moir.

Click here for the latest Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes betting markets.

2022 Moir Stakes Results & Finishing Order

Table Credit: Racing Australia.