Trainer Mike Moroney is gearing his headline gallopers for big autumn campaigns including multiple Group One winner Wall Street who has just joined the stable.
Sabrage, who was third to Sangster in the Victoria Derby, and exciting three-year old sprinter African Pulse along with Glass Harmonium complete a formidable front line for Moroney.
Glass Harmonium has recovered from a throat operation for a displaced palate and has the Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington as his goal on March 10.
Moroney said the grey’s breathing had been some concern as far back as the Cox Plate when he was making intermittent noises but he was still able to win the Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 29 before finishing second last in the Melbourne Cup.
“We decided to have him scoped after the Melbourne Cup and it (the soft palate) wasn’t that bad but the operation was going to be worth it and correct the problem,” Moroney said.
“He has come though it really well and he will probably kick off in the St George Stakes at Caulfield (on February 25) and then go to the Australian Cup.
Wall Street started his career with Moroney but was transferred to a beach environment when he injured a tendon as an unraced three-year-old.
The gelding’s ownership recently changed slightly, leading to him back to Moroney who believes the gelding still has a lot to offer.
“He is seven-year-old but only lightly raced and won 11 of 28,” Moroney said.
Last spring Wall Street finished fourth to Pinker Pinker in the Cox Plate (2040m) and was spelled after finishing sixth in the Group One Emirates Stakes (1600m) which he won in 2010.
“He’s only been back in work a fortnight and he will probably kick off over 1600 metres in the Blamey Stakes at Flemington (on March 10) before heading to Sydney and then Queensland,” Moroney said.
Sabrage has an ambitious program ahead with the Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 3 his primary Melbourne goal and the ATC Australian Derby (2400m) his ultimate Sydney mission.
“We are pretty keen to run him in the Australian Guineas and take him up to Sydney for the Randwick Guineas and probably the Rosehill Guineas before the Derby all going well,” Moroney said.
“He was a bit stiff in the Victoria Derby when Ollie (Damien Oliver) probably made a bit of tactical blue on him.
“He got in a good spot but when they all made a runs he sat for a while and then got a bit of traffic trouble and they all got away on him a bit.”
He said Sabrage was scheduled to resume in the Group Two Autumn Stake (1400m) at Caulfield on February 11.
African Pulse’s short term goal is the Group One Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on February 18 after a low-key first up run in a 0-89 handicap (1000m) at Caulfield on January 26.
A winner of two of his three starts, African Pulse only raced once in the spring when he beat the flying Karuta Queen in the Schweppes Tonic 1000 (1000m) at Flemington on November 1.
A “locking” stifle, which proved a maturity issue, prevented African Pulse from contesting the earlier spring races and about 10 days before his Flemington win he nearly drowned in a swimming pool.
“We weren’t sure we would get him to the Flemington race but we did and he was good enough to win,” Moroney said.
“We now want to get him up for the good sprint races in the autumn.”
AAP TURF
