A benchmark race at Flemington will be the launching pad for a lightly raced four-year-old trainer Mike Moroney considers one of his stable’s brightest spring prospects.
On the same day stakes winner Yesterday’s Songs runs in Saturday’s Group Three Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m), Tribal Wisdom is scheduled to begin his campaign in the 1000m benchmark-90 after winning twice from four starts in his first preparation.
The grey gelding narrowly won the Listed Gosford Guineas at his third start before being unplaced in the Arrowfield Stakes at Randwick in April.
“Whether the 1000 metres is a bit short for him will be questionable, but it’s a nice starting point,” Moroney said.
“But we think he’s one of our better spring chances.
“He’s been a bit slow-maturing but he’s been worth the wait.
“That was only his first campaign last time, and he’s definitely got a long way stronger and a bit wiser.”
Moroney hopes Tribal Wisdom can win his way into some better races and after his Gosford win on a soft track, he knows he can handle ground with some give in it.
“We’ve got to work through the classes a bit. We’d hope we might get to a Toorak Handicap or something like that, all going well.
“But he’s got a bit to do to make those sorts of races.”
Yesterday’s Songs has returned to Melbourne from interstate assignments.
He was second in the Listed Straight Six at Flemington in May before two unplaced starts in Queensland and a fourth to Washington Heights over 1200m last month at Rosehill.
Moroney said Yesterday’s Songs was going well but had had a luckless campaign.
“Things just didn’t quite go right up in the Queensland,” he said.
“He gave a muscle a slight twinge so each time we ran him it was either too short or too far for his fitness levels.
“He went really well last time in Sydney.
“He’s freshened nicely and he went really well down the straight the last time he ran there.”
