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Moreira heaps praise on unbeaten Courier Wonder;Impecunious primed for Oaks test
Moreira heaps praise on unbeaten Courier Wonder
Joao Moreira declared Courier Wonder the most talented young horse he has ridden in Hong Kong this season, after yet another impressive victory at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Bred by Waikato Stud, Courier Wonder, is a son of Sacred Falls and a full brother to Saturday's Gr.1 Doncaster Mile runner-up Icebath.
Prepared by John Size, the three-year-old gelding has won all three of his Hong Kong starts and lumped topweight to defeat Trillion Win, a son of Proisir, over 1200m on Sunday.
"It's been a while since I've been on top of a nice horse like him. If he keeps on tracking and keeps on learning as he should, he's going to go far – I can tell you that," Moreira said.
"It was a bit more difficult because of the weight (60kg) on his back and he had the wide gate (eight), so he had to use himself to come across and he did win with something left in hand.
"He's a young horse, only a three-year-old. He's got plenty to learn and I think there's plenty more to come from him.
Twice handed 14-point ratings rises after his first two wins, Courier Wonder – who was prepared for a Cranbourne trial win in Australia by Robert Hickmott in March 2020 - will now rise to Class 2 company for John Size.
Courier Wonder was bought out of Waikato Stud's draft at Karaka for $150,000 by agent John Foote and is out of the five-time winning Savabeel mare Fabulist.
All five of Fabulist's foals have won, including Singapore stakes winner Nowyousee, Group One performer Icebath and Group Three placed Just Fabulous.
Impecunious primed for Oaks test
Trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young expect promising New Zealand-bred filly Impecunious to enjoy the step up to 2400m in Saturday's Gr.1 Australian Oaks.
The three-year-old daughter of Sacred Falls ran home strongly behind Hungry Heart in the Gr.1 Vinery (2000m) last start, and the step up in distance again is set to suit the exciting filly.
"She's come through the run really well, she had a nice week, just ticking over," Young told Racing.com. "She won't gallop again until Tuesday.
"She's a Sacred Falls, so she should get the trip. She's always hit the line well. We didn't want to change her pattern around (last start).
"We are building to the 2400m and we wanted to ride her how she was used to. I think she's better ridden that little bit conservative early and then she has a really good turn of foot late.
"If we get a bit of rain next week, even better. Hungry Heart is going to be hard to beat but I don't think she likes it wet. "If we get rain a little bit on Saturday, we will be laughing."
Impecunious was purchased out of Waikato Stud's 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $140,000 by trainer Michael Pitman, for whom she had two starts in New Zealand, resulting in a win and a placing.
