Spring heads to Sandown

Ballymore Stables have enjoyed a good week and we hope the winning run can continue with two nice runners at Sandown on Saturday - Platinum Passion and Hinemoa.

Taking her place in the Gr.3 Eclipse Stakes, Platinum Passion backs up from a Matriarch Stakes seventh last Saturday and Michael Moroney is confident that she has come on well since.

"She was fresh for the Matriarch and she raced that way," he said, noting that the five-year-old was inclined to pull on her rider.

"The last time she backed up she won and we think that race will have really brought her on."

Nicely drawn in barrier 3, Platinum Passion will be reunited with Lisa Cropp and we hope she can break through for her first black type victory would place her in great stead as a broodmare in the future.

Cropp also takes the ride on Hinemoa who lines up in the final event, the Listed Summoned Stakes.

"She was slightly disappointing last start," Moroney admitted - the six-year-old tenth in the Gr.3 Herald Sun Stakes at Flemington, "but she was the first horse sitting three wide so she was probably entilted to tire."

"It had been a few weeks since her previous run and she has improved. On the strength of her previous win (a Listed success at Caulfield) she should prove hard to beat.

We have already cheered home two winners this week and both are promising types in the making - always well regarded by the stable.

First up was My Mirage who looked smart saluting at her Moe debut on Wednesday.

A good looking daughter of Strada and a half sister to the dual Group winner Gallant Tess, My Mirage has taken a while to mature mentally but she has, said Moroney "always been a nice filly."

"We think she has got a good future."

Same goes for the well related Revidere who saluted at nice odds at Seymour on Thursday.

Having only her second start and her first since early June, the $200,000 Easter graduate was always travelling well on pace - giving a good kick at the turn and holding off all challenges.

"We have always liked her," Moroney said, "she is not overly big but she is very strong and very fast."