GROUP ONE PLAN FOR SOUND

Mike Moroney has been busy finalising plans both in the short and long term for his last start stakes winners Sound and Dragon Storm.

Last start Zipping Classic winner Sound is to return to New Zealand with Group One targets while Dragon Storm will remain in Australia to run in the time-honoured Bagot Handicap at Flemington.

“The plan for Sound is to return to New Zealand to run in the Group One weight-for-age races,” Mike said. “He's a classy horse and I think he’s definitely earned the chance and to his credit he’s racing in career best form.”

The Lando entire will have his next start in the NZ$240,000 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic over 2000m at Ellerslie on December 26, with the NZ$400,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes over 2000m at Te Rapa on February 12 and the NZ$240,000 G1 New Zealand Stakes over 2000m at Ellerslie on March 13 likely to follow.

"We haven't got a stud for Sound yet," Moroney said. "We are heading to New Zealand to run in the weight-for-age 2000-metre race because if he can win one of those Group 1s, it should help him find a home.

“Gerard Peterson, in whose colours he runs, and Rod Duke are great supporters of ours and love their stayers and are keen to breed a Derby or an Oaks winner.”

"We are well aware that he is a nine-year-old by southern time and it could be a little bit more difficult. He only matured 18 months ago, the best he's ever looked is now and is racing in career-best form since we've had him.”

Mike is keen to attribute the current Group winning form of Sound to the use the Arthramid supplement.

”We have no doubt the use of Arthramid in Sound has kept him at his competitive best, Emma Wood who is our vet and main trackwork rider, has x-rayed his fetlocks on numerous occasions finding pod lesions in all four legs.

Emma herself adds a professional note. “We believe the Arthramid has stopped the progression of more severe joint disease and has allowed him to keep racing and winning as we have seen.

“Interestingly the company has started trials with great success in the UK and Europe on small animals to halt and reverse degenerative joint disease in elbows hips and stifles of pets. 

“I’m lining up to get my knee done when Sound wins a Group One in New Zealand!”

Regardless of how he fares in his New Zealand races, Sound already has a mate in the shape of German stakes winner Memphis, purchased at last week’s Arqana December Sale in Deauville by Paul Moroney for €155,000.

"Gerard has been a big client of ours, I think the first horse he raced with us was Second Coming (1997 Victoria Derby winner) back in 1996, so he's been a loyal long-term client.

Runner-up in the Oaks d’Italia last year, Memphis won the Listed Hoppegartener Steher-Preis over 2800 metre at Hoppegarten on August 8, a race where Sound was runner-up in four years ago.

The four-year-old daughter of Jukebox Jury then won the Polish St Leger over 2800 metres at Sluzewiec Racecourse on August 29.