Trainer Mike Moroney is expecting a much better showing from Hawker Hurricane in the Darby Munro Stakes after admitting he got it wrong with the sprinter’s return at Flemington.
Hawker Hurricane resumed from a spell in the Listed Moomba Plate (1100m) on his home track on March 7 and was seventh, beaten just over three lengths.
“He just blew out last start,” Moroney said.
“It was my own fault. He went there with me only giving him one jump-out. I thought I’d get away with it but we didn’t and he just blew out.”
Hawker Hurricane runs in Saturday’s Listed Darby Munro (1200m) at Rosehill, which will be the gelding’s first appearance in Sydney but he has won racing right-handed in the Clockwise Classic at Ballarat on debut as a two-year-old in November 2018.
“He’ll be much improved for Saturday and he has won right handed and he also handles give in the ground,” Moroney said.
Cosmic Force, who is first emergency for Saturday’s Group One Galaxy, was the $2.40 favourite on Friday with Hawker Hurricane at $23.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Dawn Passage makes his return having been scratched from the Fireball Quality two weeks earlier with a slight foot issue which Bott says resolved quickly.
“It’s not ideal having the month between his trial and first-up run but the way that Fireball was run it might not have suited him anyway,” he said.
“He’s probably better placed here in the 1200 metres first-up.”
Bott has been happy with the colt’s two trials and believes an improving track will help his chances to make it three first-up wins from as many attempts.
“He does race well fresh,” he said.
“I’ve always thought there’s been plenty of quality about this horse and I think judging on the way he’s come back, how he’s strengthened up and matured, he looks set for a great campaign.”
