3 minute read
Five-year-old set to line up in Mornington Cup
Trainer Mike Moroney will decide on Chapada’s (Bullet Train) next target after the gelding’s run in the Mornington Cup (Listed, 2400m) on Saturday.
A winner of the Herbert Power Stakes (Gr 2, 240m) last October, the son of Bullet Train (Galileo) was last seen running third behind Homesman (War Front) in the Australian Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) on March 6.
The five-year-old can secure himself ballot exemption for the Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, with victory on Saturday, but Moroney says there are other options available to him.
"This is the main race we brought him back for," Moroney said of the Mornington Cup.
"So we will see how we go. The result of the race will give us a better line on what we are going to do.
"Will he stay in work and have another run? Or we go to the paddock.
"It will just depend on what he does."
"We are very happy with him. He worked very good Tuesday, he seems to be ticking over nicely.
"It would have been nicer to draw a little bit closer to the rail, but it is what it is.
"He's a pretty adaptable horse, he can race anywhere. He is easy to ride. I can't see it (the barrier) being a major problem."
Chapada will line-up alongside Lord Belvedere (Archipenko) in the Listed race on Saturday, with co-trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace hoping the gelding can lay the foundations for a lucrative spring cup campaign.
The Highclere Racing-owned six-year-old has won five starts since he relocated to Australia and the syndicate have lofty ambitions for the gelding, rating a future Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) horse.
"One of the UK owners of Lord Belvedere said to me last week, if he was back at home and returning to racing, he'd be racing for £20,000 on the Kempton all-weather," Highclere's racing manager Andrew Hawkins told Racing.com.
"Instead, he's racing for $350,000 with the added carrot of a berth in a $5 million race. It is easy to see why there is so much interest from UK owners wanting to race in Australia.
"He's coming along well. He galloped at Moonee Valley recently with Persan and that form was obviously franked last weekend. He trialled well at Cranbourne on Monday and I think he's ready to run a big race.
"He has that form through Chapada and Persan last year that suggests he should be competitive in a race of this nature. He flies fresh and it was decided that it was the best option for him to head straight to the mile-and-a-half, rather than wasting time by gradually increasing his distances.
"There are plenty of options for him - the Warrnambool Cup is one that jumps out, while he still holds a Sydney Cup entry.
"I think he will probably end up in Brisbane on Stradbroke Day - the Brisbane Cup looks a good chance to test him at two miles, especially with the Melbourne Cup on his agenda later in the year."
