Super Sophrosyne

An impressive performance by the lightly raced Sophrosyne at Seymour on Sunday, the promising three-year-old taking out the feature event - the $50,000 Chatswood Vase in easy style.

A bonus race for Inglis sale graduates - Sophrosyne a $21,000 Classic Sale purchase selected by Paul Moroney - the Vase attracted a smart field of up-and-comers and it was a fine effort by a horse having only his fourth start.

Dwelling only slightly at the start, Sophrosyne travelled nicely on the rails but was held up approaching the turn. Hooking out in the straight, he gave his rivals a few lengths but was able to quickly gather them in - racing away to win by a soft 3/4 length.

"He is a really nice horse,"  jockey Mark Zahra enthused. "He switched off really well, got to the outside and showed a really good turn of foot."

"He's got a bright future," he added.

Raced in the Cappelin family colours of his sire Testa Rossa, Sophrosyne is well regarded by Michael Moroney who is confident the gelding will only improve as he matures further.

"We will more than likely turn him out now and miss the spring," Moroney said - "he is bigger than most Testa Rossas and he comes from a good European staying family. He is still fairly immature."

Moroney was also thrilled with the run of Mr Baritone in the Gr.2 Warwick Stakes at Randwick on Saturday. Racing as well as ever at eight, the chestnut was right in the thick of things - a gallant third beaten less then a length by the classy three-year-old Trusting, beating home  the likes of Racing To Win and Vision And Power.

"He ran really well," said Moroney who is looking forward to a return visit to Sydney in three week's time - the Theo Marks Quality next on Mr Baritone's agenda.

"If there happens to be any rain about he will be hard to beat," he said.

Meanwhile in New Zealand on Saturday Monaco Consul was a smart winner at only his third start - and at his first run since April.

"He is a very nice horse," said Moroney - adding that the son of the Epsom Derby champ High Chaparral is likely to head to Australia, the Gr.1 Spring Champion Stakes a race pencilled in for him.

A $100,000 Karaka buy for Paul Moroney, Monaco Consul hails from the prolific Froth family that provided the stable with a Melbourne Cup winner in the shape of Brew.