Glass Harmonium to kick off in the Makybe Diva

By Mark Ryan MELBOURNE, Sept 1 AAP

Mike Moroney says import Glass Harmonium is the best-performed of his eight Melbourne Cup entries and is looking for a good first-up showing from the grey in Saturday's Makybe Diva Stakes.

The Verglas six-year-old entire hasn't been out of a place in four Group race starts in Australia including a win in the Group Two Eagle Farm Cup (2200m) two starts back in June.

Moroney said he was surprised with how well Glass Harmonium performed in Queensland during the winter after the arduous travelling he had to endure to get here.

After being purchased by clients of the Moroney stable, the horse resumed for English trainer Sir Michael Stoute when running sixth to Twice Over after missing the start badly in the Group One Champion Stakes (2012m) at Newmarket last October.

Stoute then started him in the Hong Kong Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin in which he finished 12th to Snow Fairy.

From there he was supposed to be flown on to Australia.

"However he hadn't had all of his shots and he had to be flown back to England to do his quarantine during one of their worst winters which really put us on the back foot," Moroney said.

"He came out of quarantine in Sydney in the middle of February and we took him up to Queensland and I thought he did a great job considering all the travelling he'd done.

"He's more settled in now and we've got more of a handle on him. He runs in the Makybe Diva on Saturday and I'm really happy with the way the horse is going.

"He's one of a bunch of a few stayers that are in the race but he's a bit sharper than the other ones so I expect him to run well."