Weight-for-age test for Garud

Up-and-coming stayer Garud faces his biggest test on Saturday, the in-form five-year-old tackling weight-for-age for the first time.

Taking his place in the main event at Sandown - the $250,000 Gr.2 Zipping Classic, the imported son of High Chaparral impressed with the ease of his 3 3/4 length victory on Geelong Cup Day.

Subsequently a game second to Verdant in the Lavazza on Melbourne Cup Day (where he hooked out wide as the winner saved ground closer to the rails), Garud has thrived since and we are looking forward to seeing if he is up to this next challenge.

"The question mark is definitely the step up in class," Michael Moroney said, "but we have been very happy with the way he has trained on."

"He is a young stayer on the way up," he added, "and this will give us a good guide as to just where he fits in for next year."

To again be ridden by Kerrin McEvoy (pictured), Garud has had eight runs for Ballymore and he has proven consistent for us - his only time out of the placings a close up fourth!

Placed at his first two before winning a maiden at Nottingham before purchased by the stable, Garud had barrier 12 to deal with last time but on Saturday jumps from gate five.

In other stable news, Glass Harmonium will be off the scene for a few months having chipped a bone in a fetlock when finishing a game second to Alcopop in the Mackinnon Stakes - a race he won last year.

"He probably did it with 100m to go," Moroney said, noting that "at that stage of the race you could see him change his stride."

Multiple Gr.1 winner Wall Street pulled up better from his encouraging Emirates Stakes fifth and he is in Perth being prepared for a crack at next weekend's Group One Railway Stakes.

"He started his spring late and he's only had two starts, so Perth is a good option for him now he's up and running," Moroney said.