Sapphire Of Patch will make his Australian racing debut for trainer Mike Moroney at Rosehill on Saturday, the imported galloper still unbeaten after a four-start career in Italy.
As a two-year-old, the son of Arcano won all four starts in 2014, including a Group 3 event over 1800m in Rome.
Moroney explained the owner, Hong Kong businessman Yeung Kin-man, tried to take the promising prospect to Hong Kong, but he was not permitted to race after failing to handle trialling there.
Enter, an Australian winter.
“He’s a wet-tracking stayer,” Moroney told Racing.com’s Racing Ahead on RSN 927.
“He’s had barrier trials. He’s showed speed, but looks pretty one-paced. It looks like he wants wet ground.
“It’ll be a watch-and-see this weekend.
“He was obviously good as a two-year-old, running reasonable trips there [in Italy].
“If he comes through alright and he shows enough and it’s going to be wet up there [in Brisbane], we’ll head up there.”
Power Of Patch – another of Yeung’s horses – looks more likely to be playing a part in the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
Moroney said the High Chaparral gelding, who runs over 1800m at Randwick on Anzac Day, looks set to lap up a trip and is on a path towards the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) on June 11.
There were mixed fortunes for the two gallopers Moroney accepted with for the BECK Property Group Plate (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
The trainer said Araldo Junior will be scratched after sustaining a foot abscess, but Black Tomahawk- the Listed Harry White Classic winner – should get conditions to suit third-up.
“He’s getting up towards the right distance. The rain we’ve had, a bit of give out of the ground will help him. He should run a much-improved race this time,” Moroney said.
– racing.com
