Mike Moroney’s Group 1 winner Glass Harmonium will target next year’s Brisbane Winter Carnival after undergoing surgery to remove bone chips from his front leg following the Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Glass Harmonium will target the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival. Photo by: Taron Clarke
Glass Harmonium was chasing back to back wins in the Group 1 $1m Longines Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on November 3 and looked like he had the race in his keeping before old timer Alcopop under Craig Williams overhauled him close to the line.
Moroney was confident Glass Harmonium was set for victory before changing stride at the 150m and thinks that’s when he did the damage to his near side leg resulting in an operation to remove some bone chips.
“He was going to win and if you watch the tape you see he changes stride about 150 metres off the line,” Moroney said.
“We think he did the damage then.”
Moroney was having a frustrating Spring with Glass Harmonium after the grey had developed a bad habit of missing the start and not being able to race in front where he runs his best races.
He was caught wide in the Group 1 $400,000 David Jones Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on October 13 after leaving the barriers slowly and he was always well back in the field again after bungling the start in the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 27.
But the seven year old was on his best behaviour at Flemington and after jumping with the field was able to take up his favourite position in the lead with Damien Oliver dictating the tempo of the race almost perfectly.
Glass Harmonium is no stranger to having surgery after coming through two throat operations successfully before undergoing this latest operation.
“He’s had that many operations this poor horse but he seems to have come through it OK,” Moroney said.
Moroney will have Glass Harmonium back on the water walker as soon as he can but will bypass the Melbourne and Sydney Autumn Carnivals to concentrate on the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
The Group 1 $500,000 Kirks Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben in May looks the ideal race after the grey finished third to Scenic Shot in the weight for age feature race in 2011.
Glass Harmonium then went on to win the Group 2 $250,000 Al Basti Equiworld Eagle Farm Cup (2200m) at Eagle Farm on Queensland Oaks day before running second to Tullamore in the Group 2 $300,000 Australian Special Metals Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm the following week.
