Mike Moroney only has two runners at Caulfield tomorrow but he is confident that he can finish the day with a winning double; backing Flashy Fella to take out the Ambassadors Plate (2000m) and Murcielaga to triumph in the Ballymore Stable Handicap (1700m).
Trainer Mike Moroney is confident that he can finish with two winners from as many starters at Caulfield tomorrow. Photo by: Taron Clarke
Flashy Fella started his spring campaign with a poor run at Bendigo and failed to fire in either the Bairnsdale Cup (1600m) or the Hamilton Cup (2200m) but returned to his best form with a strong win over Quick Shakes and Isopach in the Ararat Gold Cup (2000m).
The Thorn Park gelding has not recorded a metropolitan victory since he took out the De La Salle Centenary Plate (2000m) at Caulfield in March last year but Moroney told Racing Ahead that he is happy with the current form of the five-year-old and rates him a winning chance in the Ambassadors Plate this weekend.
“We took the blinkers off because he was just going too hard with the blinkers and the start before he gave Jason Lyon a pretty tough ride with the blinkers on,” Moroney said.
“He relaxed a lot better and it was more like the pleasant fellow that we know.
“He seems to have trained on well and it is a stronger line-up but that one draw is a big help.”
Murcielaga is not taking winning form into the Ballymore Stable Handicap but has performed well this preparation; winning the Hygain Handicap (1400m) at Ballarat and the Choices Sale Handicap (1400m) at Sale before finishing an unlucky second in the China Bowl (1600m) at Ararat.
The Testa Rossa gelding has drawn ideally in barrier five and Moroney is confident that he will get a lovely run into the race and be very difficult to beat at Caulfield this weekend.
“He sort of hasn’t quiet shown the gate speed that he used to but, in saying that, last time he drew badly and we had to come back on him,” Moroney said.
“He just got too far from them but he ran on really well and his two wins before that were really good.
“Again, he is going up in class but with Damien on he should be pretty hard to beat.
“There wouldn’t be much between the two at Caulfield as my best of the weekend.”
Punters rate Murcielaga the best of Moroney’s chances this weekend, with the five-year-old the favourite in Ballymore Stable Handicap betting markets at odds of $4.60, while Flashy Fella is rated a $13 chance for the Ambassadors Plate.
