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Cups tilt possible for The Good Fight; Golden spring path for Imperatriz

Cups tilt possible for The Good Fight

The Good Fight  may have only been in Michael Moroney's Flemington barn for just over a month, but the expat Kiwi believes the gelding is capable of making it to the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) in November.

The son of High Chaparral was part of the initial entrants for the Gr.1 Caulfield (2400m) and Melbourne Cups on Tuesday, and with a smaller than usual international contingent, Moroney said The Good Fight just may find himself in either race if he continues on his current trajectory.

"He is a horse that could make it through to the Cups," Moroney told RSN927. "This year, with there not being so many from overseas, it gives a chance for those type of horses to possibly make it.

"We are going to space his races and try to keep him going through."

The Good Fight will continue his preparation towards the spring at Flemington on Saturday in a 2530m handicap and Moroney is expecting another bold showing after his win in the Flemington Cup (2800m) last month.

"He has got a little bit less weight than what he had last start," Moroney said. "It may be a slightly stronger field, but I thought he was quite impressive when winning."

Initially trained by Shaune Ritchie in New Zealand, The Good Fight was placed over 3200m on soft ground in the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) last year and at his start prior to arriving in Australia won the Gr.3 Rotorua Cup (2200m) on a heavy track.

Golden spring path for Imperatriz

Undefeated filly Imperatriz continued to impress at the Ellerslie trials on Tuesday, comfortably winning her 900m heat by five lengths over stablemate Palamos.

The daughter of I Am Invincible won both of her starts as a juvenile, including the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year's Day, but her season was curtailed following her maiden stakes victory.

"Imperatriz is well above average, she just got held up with a bit of an injury after the Eclipse, so we are just going to have to manage that pretty carefully," trainer Jamie Richards said.

The three-year-old filly has come up well this time in, placing in her first-up trial on the Cambridge synthetic last month before Tuesday's run.

She will likely step-out at Taupo later this month before heading to Hawke's Bay for her first major target of the spring.

"She will more than likely kick-off at Taupo and we will give her a run there before she goes to the Gold Trail (Gr.3, 1200m)," Richards said.

Stakes targets are also on the agenda for Palamos.

"He trialled well considering he didn't like the ground," Richards said.

"Palamos will probably go to Ruakaka for the Northland Breeders (Gr.3, 1200m) and then maybe the El Roca (Listed, 1200m) or the Hawke's Bay Guineas (Gr.2, 1400m). We will be guided by him."