Moroney expects Glass Harmonium to run well in Futurity but winning could be All Too Hard

by Andrew Garvey, Racing Victoria

He faces a big task in taking on boom colt All Too Hard but Mike Moroney is confident that his comeback kid Glass Harmonium, can run very well first up in Saturday's Group 1 Cathay Pacific Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

He's had a couple of throat operations, a chip removed after his last campaign as well as a few other issues, Moroney said.

Glass Harmonium had a chip removed from his knee after being narrowly beaten in the Mackinnon Stakes last November but Moroney says he has recovered well and is ready for a forward showing first up.

Glass Harmonium can on occasions be a little slow to begin but if the seven-year-old jumps from the gates on terms with his rivals, Moroney believes he will be able to take a hand in the finish.

While the 1400 metres of the Futurity is well short of Glass Harmonium's optimum trip, Moroney says that he can usually pull out a good run fresh.

In his last two campaigns Glass Harmonium has run fourth in the Peter Young Stakes over 1800 metres this time last year and first up in his last campaign, he carried 58 kilograms when running three and a half lengths fourth to Moment Of Change, in the Rupert Clarke Stakes over 1400 metres.

Moroney said he had considered running in the Peter Young Stakes again this year but he did not want to risk flattening Glass Harmonium, whose immediate target is the final leg of the G1 Middle Distance Championship, the Darley Australian Cup on March 9.

Steven Arnold who rode Glass Harmonium in his jumpout, will be having his first race ride on the grey in the Futurity.

Story by Andrew Garvey