News

Mike Charges Towards Another Derby

15th Oct 2011

Mike Moroney has a great opportunity to add to his dual Victoria Derby wins following the strong win by Inglis Easter graduate Sabrage at Caulfield today.

SABRAGE ($200,000 2010 Easter, 3c Charge Forward-Galroof) burst into calculations for the Derby when he finished best to take the Group 3 Norman Robinson Stakes.

Offered for sale by Arrowfield, Sabrage is by Charge Forward from Galroof, a mare Moroney trained to win at Group 3 level in Brisbane, in addition to second placings in the Doomben Cup and Queensland Derby during that 2002 winter carnival.

Moroney has won the Derby previously with Second Coming and Monaco Consul.

“I wouldn't have picked him as a Derby (horse). We really thought he was our Caulfield Guineas horse and it was the Stutt Stakes that changed our minds,” Moroney said.

“He's always been a big action horse and I know when Damien (Oliver) rode him at Moonee Valley just in a gallop round there, he came back with that assumption he felt more like a stayer.”

“We were surprised he won first-up at 1200m because he was pretty dumb about the whole thing, but just won it on ability and now he's starting to really switch on and he's had the right preparation (to go to a Derby).”

Oliver said it was worthwhile progressing to the Derby.

“(Runner-up) Sangster really stole what looked to be a winning break so he did a good job to overhaul him,” Oliver said.

“He ran out the 2000m quite strong today. It (Derby) is another 500m so it's not going to be an easy task but it appears to be a reasonably open race so he is as good a chance as any.”

In Sydney, HOT SNITZEL ($60,000 2010 Premier, 3c Snitzel-Flames Of Paris) completed a stakes double for Inglis three-year-olds with a first up victory in the Listed Brian Crowley Stakes.

A winner of the Group 2 Sires Produce Stakes at Eagle Farm in June, the son of Snitzel is on his way to Melbourne to tackle either the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes or the Group 2 Salinger Stakes on Derby Day.

SATIN SHOES ($700,000 2010 Easter, 3f Flying Spur-Star Satire) also made a welcome return to winning form when beating older mares to win the final race at Caulfield.

Hot Snitzel was the first leg of a stakes winning treble for Inglis graduates at Randwick.

GALIZANI ($140,000 2008 Easter II, 5m Galileo-Zahani) returned to form with a decisive win in the Listed 100th City Tattersalls Club Cup.

BALMONT (PI $35,000 2007 Classic, 6m Commands-Grail Queen) overcame interference before charging late on the rails to win the Listed Nivison Stakes. The Guy Walter trained mare is raced by her breeders Kooringal Stud.