Three State Attack

Ballymore has runners in three states on Saturday – Marwood and Araldo (pictured) lining up at Caulfield and About Square at Morphettville whilst Zazparella and Jemerica head to Rosehill.

Taking his place in the fourth event at Caulfield, the Hocking Stuart Handicap, the talented Marwood strips hard fit for recent racing.

In the placings at both outings since a first up victory at Seymour, the son of O’Reilly and Pernod has been pleasing us with his work.

“He is as well as he has been this time in,” Michael Moroney said, “we have been really happy with him.”

“He does have a tricky draw (14) but he should run a very nice race.”

Import Araldo resumes in the ninth race, the Listed Australian Bloodstock (Heatherlie) Handicap.

Having his first run since finishing third in the Gr.3 Lexus last spring, the lightly raced seven-year-old has returned from his spell in fine order.

“His trials have been good and he should run a nice race:” Moroney said, “but he is still pretty burly to look at.”

“Whatever he does first up he will improve on. He has fresh form in Europe but we’d expect the 1700m to be a bit too short for him.”

About Square is also first up, tackling the After Party Handicap – the seventh race on the Morphettville card.

Drawn nicely in barrier three for Jamie Kah, the five-year-old is having his first start since March and his fresh form reads well.

“He has got a pretty good first up record and he is coming off only a short break,” Moroney said.

“It looks a handy field but he is going well and he should prove hard to beat.”

The first of our Rosehill pair is Zazparella who races in the second event, the More Than Ready Handicap over 2000m.

Beaten as favourite in Sydney last time out, the Al Maher mare this time strikes heavy going and she is two wins from two starts on that surface.

“The rain is ideal for her,” Moroney said.

“She has been up a while but all reports from Sydney is that she has trained on well. And it does look a nice race for her.”

Jemerica, who races in the Cellarbrations Handicap, is also a fan of rain affected tracks and she drops in class after tackling Listed company at Caulfield last time out.

“She was starting to feel the ground in Melbourne so we sent her up to Sydney,” Moroney explained.

“She is going really well, we can’t fault her and hopefully she can continue the good form of her family up there.”

The stakes wins recorded last weekend by the half-brothers Terravista and Tiger Tees is what Moroney is referring too – those classy gallopers being out of a full sister to Jemerica’s dam Nishaani who has also produced the New Zealand Gr.1 winner Il Quello Veloce and the Listed winner Donna Cattiva.