Speedy recovery has Moroney's star on track for Australian Cup

From Racing Victoria...

Despite having to have bone chips removed from his near knee following his second placing in the Mackinnon Stakes last November, Glass Harmonium was back at Flemington this morning and is a likely participant through the Melbourne Festival Of Racing.

In this day and age with water walkers you can get them back much quicker than in the past, said Glass Harmonium's trainer Mike Moroney.

After four weeks in the paddock following the operation, Glass Harmonium had four weeks on a water walker, before four weeks working behind a trotter and has come back to Flemington in good order.

While the group one Darley Australian Cup (2000m), to be run at Flemington on March 9 comes around quickly, Moroney said the race, the final leg of the $1 million Group One Middle Distance Championship series, is the perfect event for Glass Harmonium.

The trainer believes that but for the knee issues, Glass Harmonium would have made it back to back Mackinnon Stakes wins at his last start.

Glass Harmonium led until the shadows of the post before being grabbed by Alcopop which subsequently went on to be placed in group one company in Hong Kong, with Cox Plate winner Ocean Park finishing third.

With Alcopop now retired and Ocean Park embarking on an overseas campaign, the Australian Cup looks the ideal race for Glass Harmonium.

On his day he is arguably the best 2000 metre horse in Australia, Moroney said, adding that the stallion does not appear happy racing at Moonee Valley, where he has failed twice at that trip in the Cox Plate.