African Pulse impressive on Cup Day

Our Gr.1 star Glass Harmonium may have been well back in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday – blowing his chances by missing the start – but Ballymore still enjoyed big race day success with the lightly raced and exciting three-year-old African Pulse.

Having only his third start, the son of Johannesburg had impressed during his debut campaign in the autumn, saluting at his Sandown debut in May before a close second at Flemington.

Always highly regarded by the stable – showing plenty of speed from day one, African Pulse was due to kick off earlier in the spring but had a few “niggling issues.”

And he nearly didn’t make it this week either, a scare in the pool seeing him sink to the bottom after his stifle locked.

“We had to drag him out but he was very lucky,” Michael Moroney said. “He was a little bit sick and sorry for himself for a couple of days but he came right and we gave him a good break to aim for this race.”

“He is a very good sprinter,” he added, “we have always had a huge opinion of him – he is a lovely, lovely colt and very fast.”

Lisa Cropp agreed – “right from day one the team has loved him and he has put it together today,” she said. “He had a good look at Karuta Queen and I was surprised that he was able to put lengths on her so quickly.”

A NZ $130,000 Karaka graduate selected by Paul Moroney, African Pulse is raced by Lorne Bloodstock, David & Brenda Duchen, Paul Duchen, C Casper, Con Barbayannis, Paul Williams, Con Tangalakis, the Tirileni Syndicate and the GLM Syndicate.

By Hennessy's six times Gr.1 winner Johannesburg out of an imported half sister to the UK stakes winners Governor Brown and Hataab, African Pulse hails from the same family as the Queensland Oaks winner Zagalia and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Levmoss.