He's a Moral!

An outstanding performance by Balmoral at Seymour on Thursday, the up-and-coming stayer racing away with his maiden after enduring a tough run.

Striking sizeable early interference, the lightly raced four-year-old was then trapped wide, jockey Lisa Cropp forced to make an early run in the 2000m contest.

Most horses would tire from the turn after such a run but Balmoral instead kicked – railing strongly and drawing clear to win by an impressive 4½ lengths.

“It took a little while for him to recover from that check and get his confidence back,” Cropp said – “but he just ran away from them in the straight.”

Noting that Balmoral had been “a bit unlucky at his last couple of outings,” Cropp enjoyed a good day – the win the first leg of a running double.

A $230,000 Karaka graduate raced by Rob McAnulty, Iain Bruce, Sir Patrick Hogan, Richard Hui, the Il Tempo Syndicate, Cecil Ivers, Dr D Lee, the Llanhennock Trust and Kenneth Syminton, Balmoral is by outstanding stallion Pentire whose progeny just get better with maturity and distance.

A half brother to the Gr.3 winner Molly Dot Com and the stakes placed Mary Ellen out of a half sister to the Gr.1 Avondale Gold Cup winner Regal Chief, Balmoral debuted in New Zealand earlier in the year and in three local outings leading up to his win he had been in or around the placings.