Mike Moroney was disappointed to have to bypass a planned race with Rhythm To Spare last week but hopes to qualify the gelding for the Listed Winter Championship Final via another heat at Flemington.
Rhythm To Spare was a race morning scratching from last Saturday’s Travis Harrison Cup (1600m) at Moonee Valley because he was developing a foot abscess.
“We took him for a trot and canter on the morning of the race and he trotted up a little bit lame,” Moroney said.
“We took him for a bit of a canter and he seemed fine but by the time he got back to the stables he got worse and he ended up with a foot abscess which was brewing. It burst but we just couldn’t run him.
“It looked the right race for him, too.”
Moroney is preparing to start Rhythm To Spare in Saturday’s seventh heat of the Winter Championship series at Flemington, with the Final on July 9.
He said everything is fine with the six-year-old now.
“We’ll try to make the Winter Championship Final so he needs to run in one of the heats,” the trainer said.
Even though Moroney believes 1400m is just short of Rhythm To Spare’s optimum distance, he said Saturday’s race was the best option of the remaining couple of heats in the series.
Rhythm To Spare finished sixth in the RA Lee Stakes in Adelaide a month ago.
Moroney said the gelding felt the ground that day on a good-rated track and is hoping for rain-affected going at Flemington.
“I don’t think he wants it too wet but he just wants a bit of give,” he said.
Stablemate War Legend chases back-to-back city wins in Saturday’s 1600m handicap for three-year-olds.
Connections scrapped plans to run War Legend in last month’s South Australian Derby after he finished fourth in a traditional lead-up, the Chairmans Stakes (2020m) on April 30.
Moroney said War Legend appreciated a freshen up and raced accordingly when he won over 1600m at Sandown on June 4.
He is confident War Legend’s on target to run well again on Saturday with a view to going to the Silver Bowl Series Final on July 9.
“I can’t fault him. He looks particularly well,” Moroney said.
“He did a nice piece of work this morning.”
