NOT even an impressive first-timer could lift the spirits of a downcast Kevin Moses stable. As it turned out, the not-so-well-named It's Been A Blast may have trotted in at Gosford yesterday but Moses was holed up in the Randwick Equine Centre attending a stricken No Wine No Song.

The stable stalwart, the gelding on which Moses, a three-time premiership winning jockey, has taught several youngsters to ride, is doing it tough. The two-time Metropolitan winner and last-start Sydney Cup victor is no longer a contender for the Caulfield and Melbourne cups.

"It was the worst day of my life," Moses's wife, Jenny, said after It's Been A Blast scored in style. "We love him to death, Kevin couldn't even speak on Monday."

It was the day the Moses camp discovered all was not well with No Wine No Song. Veterinarians at the centre diagnosed a displaced bowel. "The vets can't tell us why it happened," Moses said.

The horse was operated on with Moses present. His wife reported "there was no internal damage".

Moses said the horse would be back in the later part of the spring, "but races he won't be able to make are those we wanted him to run in".

Before heading to Gosford Jenny Moses was at the REC and had No Wine No Song out for a pick. "Kevin is up there doing the same this afternoon," she said.

Judging by the strength of It's Been A Blast's 3½-length win at a Sydney Turf Club meeting, the three-year-old will salute again.

In the following event, Jenny Moses saddled stablemates Champagne Flute and Successable but the latter played up in the barrier, and the former, which was stationed alongside, reared up and struck its head. Champagne Flute was scratched. The race was won by another first-timer, the John O'Shea-trained Silently. O'Shea said his multiple group 1-winning galloper Racing To Win was ready for a return to racing in Saturday's Warwick Stakes at Warwick Farm.