Our Derby champ

"When the penny drops he'll be a smart horse" said Corey Brown at Flemington today. Any trainer and owner would be pretty happy to hear such an opinion but fancy hearing it AFTER said horse had just won one of Australia's biggest races in easy style!
 

Monaco Consul, a horse the stable have always had a big opinion of - comparing him favourably to the star Xcellent - today wrote his name in the history books with a runaway victory in the $1.5 million Gr.1 Victoria Derby.

 

Settling well from barrier 1, Monaco Consul was in a good rhythm from the gates, on the fence a few lengths from the leaders. Turning he was travelling sweetly but in the straight was a little green - turning his head to the side whilst in behind other runners.

 

And once he was clear, his action at first was a little awkward. He looked around a little, skipped a little. But then - bang! Over the final stages he got right into stride and away he went, hitting the lead close to home and drawing clear to win by a length - Corey Brown barely having to touch him.

 

What a win! And at only his sixth start.

 

Not running since his Spring Champion Stakes victory, Monaco Consul had thrived in the meantime and a slow and steady preparation suited the son of Epsom Derby champ High Chaparral.

 

"We trained him a bit in the English style and sent him out with a pacemaker a few times and it worked," said Moroney, who also won the race in 1997 with Second Coming.

"We always knew he had the ability and he showed his turn of foot again today."

Corey Brown, riding Monaco Consul for the first time, was impressed.
 

"He gave me an absolutely perfect ride," he said.

 

"He lost the bridle a little bit on straightening because it was a bit of a 'sit and sprint' but once he gathered momentum, gee he felt good."

 

"He took a bit of winding up and even when Nash came to him (on Extra Zero), I knew he had more in the tank because he'd been that relaxed throughout the race. I was just waiting for him to hit top speed and when Extra Zero came to him, it actually switched him on - it was a super effort."

 

Congratulations to Monaco Consul's owners and to everyone at the Moroney stables.