Queensland jockey Ryan Maloney out to create another Moonee Valley moment with Golden Boom in Carlyon Stakes

It was where he had the best seat in the house as he rode the great Nature Strip in his early days, winning by 5½ lengths in a demolition job at the young sprinter’s third race start.

Maloney rode Nature Strip at the start of his career and considering the freak sprinter went on to win nine Group 1s and The Everest, the jockey’s personal memory of riding him at Moonee Valley is hard to beat.

• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

But then there was also the day that Maloney won on Angelic Light in the 2014 McEwen Stakes when the Robbie Griffiths’ mare rolled generational sprinter Lankan Rupee who had started at $1.22.

Maloney now calls Queensland home but the jockey will get a chance to write another chapter in his story at Moonee Valley when he partners Tony Gollan-trained Queensland sprinter Golden Boom in the Listed Carlyon Stakes (1000m).

• ‘We'll be cheering from Birdsville’: Exciting filly takes next step

“Moonee Valley can obviously be a trick track at times, it is certainly unique, but it has always been good to me,” Maloney said.

“The day I won on Nature Strip there, he came out of the barriers a bit sticky and sat three-deep but he was always going to be too good for them.

“Looking back now to see what Nature Strip went on to do, that is a terrific memory.

“But Angelic Light probably gave me my best memory at Moonee Valley when she beat Lankan Rupee.”

• Incoming Australian Trainers' boss ‘all-in’ on artificial intelligence

Maloney is now as Queensland as The Great Barrier Reef but will return to his old neck of the woods in Victoria hunting a win on Gollan’s sharp sprinter on Saturday.

Golden Boom’s record is nothing to be sneezed at, having won more than $1m in prizemoney and seven of his 19 career starts.

Last year, he also ventured to Victoria for the Carlyon Stakes and finished a narrow runner-up behind Mornington Glory who then won the Group 1 Moir Stakes.

The resuming Queensland sprinter has breakneck speed when he goes handlebars down, but can sometimes take a few seconds to muster to peak pace.

After having drawn barrier seven, and with some nippy sprinters having drawn inside him, Maloney feels he might know his fate early in the race.

• Slot secured: Hawkes to watch his star under the stars at TAB Eureka

“There are a few quick horses in there, it all depends how well Golden Boom leaves the barriers,” Maloney said.

“Sometimes he can take 50m to find his momentum.

“But if he leads them like he did that day on the Gold Coast (when winning the Listed Goldmarket in January), I don’t think I will have too much to worry about.

“He is one-dimensional, he is a quick horse and he’s never been any different.

“This is just a hit-and-run mission for me, I’ve got a bit going on in Queensland.

“I grew up in Victoria, but I am entrenched in Queensland now and I love it.

“I’ve got a bit of momentum going at the start of the racing season and it’s now all about consistency for me.”

Golden Boom is rated a $7.50 chance to resume with a win.

The horse who beat him in the same race last year, Mornington Glory, is an $8 chance.

Originally published as Queensland jockey Ryan Maloney out to create another Moonee Valley moment with Golden Boom in Carlyon Stakes