Ali Vital on Queensland Derby path

from AAP... Mike Moroney has bolstered his Queensland Derby team with Ali Vital surging into calculations on the back of a strong midweek victory at Doomben.

Having only his sixth start on Wednesday, Ali Vital ($3.20 fav) won the Ascend Sales Handicap (2200m) by three lengths, booking himself a Derby start on June 8.

Winning jockey Chris Munce suggested Ali Vital might benefit from blinkers but Moroney will resist the temptation to use them in the Group One.

"Chris (Munce) said at some stage he may need blinkers but I won't put them on in the Derby," Moroney said.

"It will be his first go at a mile-and-a-half so I'll be leaving them off for that race.

"But at some stage in the future they'll more than likely be going on."

Moroney said Ali Vital was inclined to lose focus during the race which he attributes to his inexperience.

"Chris said it took a while for him to get going and when he got into the clear he went from travelling to not knowing what do," Moroney said.

"He's still learning but, by the same token, he's winning which is the main thing."

Ali Vital is on a learning curve in Queensland but Moroney believes he will improve with more experience.

"There's not much of him and he never carries a lot of condition but he's only going to get better and better," he said.

"They're only three once and the owners were keen to get him up here and have a go at the Derby."

The three-year-old's sire Yamanin Vital was bought by Moroney's brother Paul as a yearling.

"He was then sold to Japan where he raced before finding his way back to New Zealand where he's thrown some good stayers," Moroney said.

"A New Zealand Derby winner that I trained called Cut The Cake was by Yamanin Vital."

Moroney's number one seed for the Queensland Derby is Rhythm To Spare who ran second to the Chris Waller-trained Hawkspur in the Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) at Doomben last Saturday.