African Pulse Returns

Saturday is, says Michael Moroney “a very interesting race day for Ballymore” with five smart gallopers heading to the Flemington meeting.

And amongst that group is a horse who has always been considered high class – the talented but sadly somewhat unlucky African Pulse.

“He has had that many things go wrong,” Moroney rued, adding that whilst he is confident that the five-year-old can find winning form, he is disappointed that “he will never be as good as he was going to be.”

A five times metropolitan winner from just 14 starts, African Pulse has his first run as a gelding in Saturday’s feature event, the Gr.3 Sir John Monash Stakes.

Last seen on the track in early March, the brown has been working extremely well at Flemington and a bold showing is expected although Moroney expresses some concern about weight-for-age as “he is not a big horse.”

He is, however “very quick and hard to get past.”

Boasting good records at Caulfield and on rain affected going, African Pulse flies fresh – in fact all five of his wins have come first up; his preparations to date short due the number of set-backs he has suffered.

Hopefully African Pulse can reward his patient owners with his first stakes victory on Saturday.

Earlier in the day we saddle up Jemerica in the Cove Hotel Handicap, a promising three-year-old filly who has wet track form.

“She does come off a slightly disappointing run last time,” Moroney admitted, “but her previous run was very good and she has been going well – she should prove competitive.”

All eyes will be on our second runner for the day, Yesterday’s Songs who contests the Sportingbet Handicap.

Catching the eye when storming home for third at his Bendigo debut in late May, the son of Henrythenavigator set tongues wagging when he raced away to a stunning 5½ length victory at Sandown on June 11.

“We think he is a very smart horse,” Moroney enthused.

“We are throwing him into the deep end a bit but we think he is up to it. Only badly luck will beat him.”

A large Hong Kong offer was presented after Yesterday’s Songs' Sandown victory but clients of Ballymore have stepped in and thankfully the exciting young horse is likely to stay in Melbourne.

Bonny mare Octavia is nicely primed to enhance her already impressive Caulfield record in the BMW Melbourne Handicap.

A three times winner over the 1200m at the track, the consistent four-year-old has been pleasing the stable.

“She is going really well and this looks the right race for her. So long as it does not get too heavy she should prove hard to toss.”

On the flipside we would like a bit of rain for our next runner Shenzhou Steeds who is due to take his place in the Race-Tech Australia Handicap.

Running back into form at his last couple of starts, the classy six-year-old relishes rain affected going having won four races on slow and heavy tracks.

“It is a strong race,” Moroney conceded, “but he is going nicely and he drops a lot in weight.”

We also have a runner at Saturday’s Rosehill meeting with the in-form Space lining up in the Drummond Golf Handicap.

“We have taken him up there looking for the right race,” Moroney explained.

“He has been up for a long time but he continues to do a great job.”

Meanwhile at Seymour we have Marwood resuming in the 1000m handicap – the race a test to see how the talented son of our Group One mare Pernod has returned off a wind operation.

“He has been working well at home but you don’t really know until race day pressure goes on,” Moroney noted.