Flemington & Ipswich Saturday

Two runners at each of the Flemington and Ipswich meetings makes Saturday a busy one for Ballymore Stables and we are excited about our prospects in both states.

Especially with our Queensland pair chasing black-type in two of the day’s feature events.

And we would really love Spitfire Lady to break through for a stakes victory, one that would be so important for her broodmare future.

A runner-up at Listed level in New Zealand in late March, Spitfire Lady contests the Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic and she has drawn nicely in barrier five for Eddie Wilkinson.

“We took her across to New Zealand to get black type and things didn’t quiet go right,” Moroney told Racing Ahead this week.

“She ran second in a Listed race there and we just found that she drew the wrong barrier in the Easter Handicap; halfway down the straight she looked like she was just about going to win, but she was on the wrong part of the track and got swamped late.”

“She did get some black type there, which is great, and now we are trying to win a stakes race with her.”

“She has drawn well,” he continued, “and she has freshened up nicely.”

“She had a jump out at Caloundra, which she won and I am really happy with her. It looks a nice race for her.”

Moroney is also pleased with the condition of Ballymore’s Ipswich Cup candidate Garud who has run so well at his last couple at Flemington.

“He should really strip towards his best for this race.”

“I thought that his last two runs were good, but I just wish that he had drawn a better barrier than that because he is a horse who you can sneak forward on to a degree and he will relax if you can get cover with him.”

“From that draw (13) we are probably going to be forced to go back a wee bit and we have to hope that they will run the race truly. They usually do around Ipswich and he is a nice horse.”

Taking his place in the third heat of the Banjo Paterson Series at Flemington, Picture Editor looks nicely placed stepping up to 2500m after finishing off nicely over slightly shorter at Sandown a couple of weeks ago.

Whilst he has drawn a little awkwardly out in barrier 11, the imported Dansili six-year-old does have the services of Craig Newitt.

Shenzhou Steeds – who on this weekend two years ago won the Ipswich Cup – has been pleasing the stable with his work this time in but just hasn’t been getting the conditions to suit.

“He just needs the rain to come,” Moroney said of the gelding who lines up in the L.V Lachal Handicap with Steven Arnold aboard.