News

Moroney wary of extra 500m for Oaks favourite

3rd Nov 2010

Herald Sun - Adam Hamilton - Thursday, 4 November 2010

TRAINER Mike Moroney (pictured) fears the wet ground more than any rival with his Crown Oaks favourite Brazilian Pulse.

The compact filly covered extra ground and was still good enough to defeat her rivals in the key Oaks lead-up race, Saturday's Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.

The run was a good pointer to Brazilian Pulse, TAB Sportsbet's firming $3.50 to $3.20 Oaks favourite, running the extra 500m today and Moroney said she had come through the Wakeful without mishap.

"She seems really well. She's a pretty tough sort of filly," he said. "I wouldn't say the field was spread right out in the Wakeful, but she overcame a tough run and it was the best (Oaks) trial.

"Sasa and Kittens were the two running on and looking like the 2500m would suit them.

"My biggest concern is the track. It looks like slow is the best we can hope for and my filly's two most impressive wins have been in the Wakeful and at Sandown one day. They were on good and dead ground."

Moroney said Brazilian Pulse headed the most talented team of young horses he had had since making Melbourne home in 1999.

"I won the Derby with Second Coming in 1997, the Thousand Guineas with Shizu a couple of weeks after I moved to Flemington then Brew won the (2000) Melbourne Cup and Second Coming ran third," he said.

"I followed with True Jewels (Blue Diamond winner) and Pernod and things have gone on from there, but this is the most excited I've been about my three-year-olds."

Moroney said he expected another of them, Absolutelyawesome, to be the testing material in today's seventh race.

Mark Kavanagh said he hoped to turn around a frustrating spring with Kittens in the Oaks.

"Brazilian Pulse is the one to beat, but Kittens is right there in that second group of chances. She didn't have any luck and ran home well in the Wakeful. I think she'll get the 2500m," Kavanagh said.

Jockey Michelle Payne said she did not know what to expect from Thousand Guineas winner Yosei in the Oaks. Yosei suffered from the "thumps" when a long last in Saturday's Myer Classic.

"It's a wait and see. She has worked well since, but you just don't know after something like that.," Payne said.

LEE Freedman is tipped to train his fifth Oaks winner by William Inglis pedigree expert Mark Dodemaide. Dodemaide, who tipped Victoria Derby winner Lion Tamer as the best on breeding, selected Dizlago, by Encosta De Lago out of Zabeel mare and Oaks winner Dizelle to beat Maraseem and Heartsareforlove.

Full details of the Oaks runners are on Superracing at www.heraldsun.com.au