Mike Moroney is eyeing next month’s Group One Lightning Stakes with African Pulse who made a successful return to the track at Caulfield on Australia Day.
The Johannesburg colt, sent out $1.50 favourite, led all the way for Lisa Cropp to beat fellow three-year-old Hot Spin by a long neck in the 0-89 handicap (1000m).
“He’s a very, very fast horse and a really gifted and talented. The Lightning will be his next run,” Moroney said.
The winner of three of his four starts, African Pulse will face the likes of Hay List, Foxwedge and Buffering in the 1000m weight-for-age feature run at Flemington on February 18.
“He looked like he got a little bit lazy but when Hot Spin got along side him over the last bit he started to draw away,” Moroney said.
“He’s a typical colt, he loves a fight.
“He’s not an overly big horse but he has amazing talent. He always has had right from day one.
“He’s been beaten once but probably should have remained unbeaten and he’s just a really good 1000 metre sprinter.”
African Pulse’s only defeat came at his second start when he led but was edged out narrowly by Jackpot Queen over 1000m at Flemington last May.
He won at his only other appearance on his home track when he defeated the brilliant Karuta Queen over the same trip on Melbourne Cup Day.
“We had a bit of trouble with him in the spring,” Moroney said.
“We had him in against Sepoy in the Vain Stakes but he locked a stifle so we had to scratch him,” Moroney said.
“Things were going wrong so we decided to give him a break but we still had time to get him ready for that one race on Cup Day.
“We couldn’t find another race for him after that so we we put him away to aim him for the autumn.”
African Pulse is among the nominations for the $1 million Newmarket Hcp (1200m) at Flemington on March 10 and Moroney is also aiming him for that feature sprint.
“I think 1200 metres will be ideal for him as well but he won’t get much past that,” the trainer said.
AAP TURF
