Mike Moroney is leaning towards Vengeur Masque as his best Sydney Cup hope
Mister Impatience is the experienced two-miler but trainer Mike Moroney is leaning towards a first timer at the distance as his best Sydney Cup hope.
Moroney saddles up two stayers in Saturday’s $2 million Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick with import Vengeur Masque at $18 while last year’s Wellington Cup winner Mister Impatience is the $71 outsider in the field of 14.
“Vengeur Masque is probably the pick of the two,” Moroney said.
“He’s had a good preparation with the aim to get him to the Sydney Cup at his best.
“He’s just kept improving. He’s unproven at two miles but he races like he would get it and he is certainly bred to.”
Vengeur Masque is by the late German stallion Monsun who has sired three of the past four Melbourne Cup winners, Fiorente, Protectionist and Almandin.
The import made his Australian debut last spring in a preparation that included a fourth placing to Almandin in The Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington, a midfield finish in the Caulfield Cup (2400m) and a second to Francis Of Assisi in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m).
Yet to win in eight Australian starts, Vengeur Masque goes into the Sydney Cup off a close second to Tally in the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) on March 25, the third start of his autumn campaign.
While Mister Impatience is at big odds, Moroney said the seven-year-old, who has done his racing in New Zealand since the spring of 2015, had a couple of things in his favour including wins over the distance in the Queensland Cup and Wellington Cup.
“Mister Impatience is just a real two-miler,” he said.
“He is also proven on wet ground and we don’t know about the other guy on wet ground.
“Vengeur Masque gives us the impression he’ll handle it but until you try you don’t really know.
“Mister Impatience is pretty bombproof.”
Mister Impatience finished 10th in the Group One Auckland Cup last month.
The Darren Weir-trained Big Duke has won the Manion Cup and Chairman’s Stakes in Sydney at his past two starts and is the $2.80 favourite to give Victoria’s premier trainer his first Sydney Group One win.
