Marvellous Seymour Double

Seymour Sunday - two debutants, two winners. And impressive ones at that!

Two horses held in good regard by the stable, Marwood and Jemerica broke their maidens in easy fashion and both look to have bright futures.

Kicking off Ballymore's running double was Marwood (pictured as a yearling) whose win in the Parker Bros 3Y0 Maiden Plate was, in a word, stunning!

Doing a bit of early work from a tricky gate, the well related three-year-old ended up outside the leader - and really travelling for Nicholas Hall.

So well in fact that he took the lead before the turn and as soon as he straightened he gave a kick - racing away to win by a soft 4¾ lengths.

"He is a really nice horse," Michael Moroney said, "one who we have a high opinion of."

A $210,000 purchase for Paul Moroney at the 2012 William Inglis Easter Yearling Sale - Paul noting that the son of O'Reilly reminded him very much of that stallion's outstanding sire Last Tycoon - Marwood is raced by Ballymore Stables, R & C Legh Racing (manager Rupert Legh), Jonathan Deague and Ella Thomas.

His dam is the terrific mare Pernod who won eight races for Ballymore - including the Group One Dubai Racing Club Cup and the Tristrac Stakes and Cockram Stakes (the same race we won with Octavia on Saturday).

Pernod has done a great job at stud, in New Zealand producing the dual Group 3 winner Martini Red and locally the multiple city winner Zippa The Rippa.

Jemerica, winner of the Chatswood Stud Fillies & Mares Maiden Plate, also has pedigree connections with a Group One winner for the stable - being by the same sire, Captain Rio, as our VRC Oaks heroine Brazilian Pulse.

A home-bred for Watson Bloodstock (manager: Andrea Scown), Jemerica was not the best away in her race - ending up in an awkward position back on the rails.

Nicholas Hall did not panic however, edging her closer from before the turn so that she was in striking distance straightening.

Hooking off the heels of the leader who had kicked, Jemerica started the chase and found the line well - hitting the lead at the 150m and drawing clear to win by two lengths.

"She is a very quick filly," Moroney said of the promising chestnut who, like Marwood, is out of an outstanding broodmare.

Her dam is the unraced Gold Brose mare Nishaani whose five winners from as many to race include the Group One Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes winner Il Quello Veloce and the Listed winner Donna Cattiva - both full sisters to Jemerica.

Jemerica's grandam Classy Twiggy was a stakes winner at Flemington and this is also the family of the dual Group 3 winning sprinter Tiger Tees and the recently retired Singapore champ Super Easy.

In other stable news imported galloper Araldo, who missed a run at Caulfield on Saturdy with a foot abcess, is likely to be kept for the Listed Heatherlie Hnadicap at Caulfield on August 31.

"That would give him a look around Caulfield which we want him to do," Moroney said, hoping that the six-year-old can prove a force in the Caulfield Cup.