Walloon Region Ready

Saturday looks like being a hot one so we are pretty happy to be having a quiet day – sending just the one runner, and one who looks to be a big chance, to the Moonee Valley meeting.

Gaining a run as third emergency in the final event, the Sportingbet Best Tote Plus Handicap, Walloon Region has been shaping extremely well this time in and strips fitter for two excellent runs back from a spell.

Boxing on gamely for fourth after sitting wide first up at Seymour late last month, the lightly raced four-year-old was unlucky not to win second up at Werribee – going close after striking severe interference.

“He is knocking on the door,” Michael Moroney said, noting that Saturday’s race is a bit stronger than those he has contested of late – but very happy with his charge’s progress.

“The one little concern is that he was a bit disappointing the first time he raced at Moonee Valley,” he said – “but he is going really well and he has drawn nicely (barrier two) for Glen Boss so he should prove hard to beat.”

Two of our team head to Sunday’s Mornington meeting – Sunset Magic the first of those, due to contest the Riley Racing Stables Maiden Plate over 2000m.

Very good at both of her runs this campaign, the daughter of Zabeel put the writing on the wall when finishing off strongly after getting a bit too far back over a mile at Werribee last time out.

“She probably should’ve won that,” Moroney said, adding that it was the sort of run that “said she would win next time out.”

Surpass is our other Mornington runner, taking his place in the day’s feature event, the Listed Lord Stakes.

A horse who has shown a good liking for the track, Surpass has however had just the one run over 1410m this time in and may find the 1600m still a little short.

“He will run better than he did first up,” said Moroney, “but the mile is not his trip – we are looking forward to seeing him back up to 2000m and beyond.”

Lordoftheparrots (pictured) is our only other weekend runner, contesting the Woodford Cup at Warrnambool on Sunday.

Finding the 1400m of the Port Fairy Cup a bit short first up, he has improved since and is proven over the 1700m of Sunday’s race.

“He usually comes to hand pretty quickly and we were happy with his fresh run – we took a lot of positives out of it,” Moroney said.