Arabian Gold has the might and power to give Moraitis a Doomben Roses victory

SATURDAY’S Doomben Cup may not have the fans hanging off the grandstand as they did for Might And Power but Nick Moraitis still has plenty of reasons to smile.

Arabian Gold hugs the fence to win the Frank Packer Plate.

SATURDAY’S Doomben Cup may not have the fans hanging off the grandstand as they did for Might And Power 16 years ago, but popular owner Nick Moraitis is confident the meeting will still give him plenty of reasons to smile.

Moraitis shot to national prominence in 1997-98 when his champ Might And Power plundered Australia’s best middle-distance and staying races, eventually retiring with $5.2 million in earnings.

Might And Power now lives at Melbourne’s Living Legends property, but he’s still a big part of Moraitis’ life.

“I have a Might And Power raceday every year (for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance) and so far we have raised over $4 million for the children,” he said.

“He was an out-and-out champion. Considering the leg he had, he used to lift it so high, and when you look at how he won all those races it was just unbelievable.

“They packed the stadium on Doomben Cup day. They came from everywhere. People were arriving on bikes just to see him.’’

Arabian Gold hugs the fence to win the Frank Packer Plate.

Arabian Gold is unlikely to ever rise to those heights, but she is a dominant favourite for Saturday’s Doomben Roses, where she is expected to confirm favouritism for the Queensland Oaks.

Moraitis, now 79, but in good health apart from a troublesome leg, still loves winning races.

“Racing is a fantastic sport,’’ he said. “It doesn’t matter where you win a race or when you win it. You always feel fantastic.

“I won a race at Kembla last Saturday with a horse called Emerald City. It was his second run in a race and I already have had Chinese people trying to buy him.

“I was offered $1 million for Arabian Gold when she won in Melbourne. I said I would sell her, but then it fell through and I said ‘OK, no worries.’ They did me a favour. She’s won nearly $500,000 since and she will be a fantastic broodmare. Her first foal will bring a lot of money.”

Despite his success, Nick Moraitis still gets a buzz out of winning races.

Moraitis said he was looking forward to going to Doomben to watch Arabian Gold, a horse he bred himself.

He still receives fan mail for Might And Power and over the years has tried to accommodate all requests.

“There was one lady from Queensland who rang me up and told me she had cancer and that Might And Power gave her the inspiration and she was cured of it,” he said.

“She asked to come down and see him. I had someone pick her up at the airport and drop her off to where she was staying.

“There was another pensioner who sent me a letter. She said ’Mr Moraitis, I’m sending you $5. Can you please send me a photo of Might And Power and if it’s any more let me know.’ Anyway, I sent her a photo of Might And Power and sent her $5 back.

“It’s unbelievable how many stories there are.’’

Another star who wore the Moraitis colours was Exceed And Excel, who has gone on to become a champion sire, although his former owner is still seeking a good one by the Darley-based stallion.

“Yes, I can’t complain about that one,’’ he said. “There’s a heap of stories with him too. I don’t know how many people tried to buy him. It started off at $3 million and finished at $22 million plus GST.

“I have raced plenty by him, but you know what, I haven’t had a decent one yet.’’