King Pulse returns to Ballymore

by Adrian Dunn, Herald Sun

KING Pulse, the exciting young sprinter whose autumn and spring were scuttled by the storm that lashed Flemington in early March, returns to Mike Moroney's stable.

While there is a sense of anticipation, it is also matched by apprehension.

Moroney remains uncertain what impact the scars from March 6 will have on this lightly raced son of Canny Lad.

Moroney said all the preliminary reports from veterinarians and his pre-training staff were positive, but the acid would not be applied until King Pulse reached the trial or jumpout stag.

After running an eye-catching fourth behind Wanted in the Newmarket Handicap, King Pulse slipped on hailstones as he was returning to his stall, broke free, ran through the Flemington horse tunnel, crashed into a running rail and became wedged between two rails.

Taken to Werribee Veterinary Clinic, it was discovered there were floating bone chips in a shoulder as well as many bruises and lacerations.

Moroney said the veterinary diagnosis on the shoulder was favourable, but it was a dropped hip that worried him the most.

"They say the shoulder injury has healed and just as long as that stays intact when the pressure goes on, but the dropped hip ... well, you just don't know until the pressure goes on," Moroney said.

"And we won't know that until we get him up to fast pace and race him.

"The thing is whether he loses any of his ability through that dropped hip."

Moroney has not nominated any race for King Pulse until he can gauge how the four-year-old is progressing.

Stablemate Brazilian Pulse began pre-training on Monday and is likely to return to Moroney's stables late this month, with the Crown Oaks winner's return to the racetrack tentatively planned for the Group 2 Kewney Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on March 5.

She will then head to Sydney in a bid to win the AJC Oaks.