Promising Michael Moroney stayer Rhythm To Spare is out to kick start his spring campaign with a win in today’s Restricted 90 Handicap (1400m) at Sandown Lakeside.
Photo by Racing and Sports
It’s the four-year-old’s first start since finishing 3.8L off Hawkspur in the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) over the winter, a run which rated a whopping 115 on weight-adjusted Timeform ratings.
That run came two weeks after he finished second to Hawkspur in the Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) at Doomben, producing a weight-adjusted figure of 113.
Those two performances validated Moroney’s trip to Queensland with the son of Pins, who was only coming off a maiden win at Bendigo and a Restricted 78 win at Sandown Hillside.
The obvious concern today is the 1400m and whether or not Rhythm To Spare will find the seven furlongs too sharp.
I tend to think his class can get him through. His maiden win came over 1300m and his win at Sandown last campaign was over the mile, so he’s more than capable of producing in the straight when required.
Glen Boss has stuck with the ride too after following him to Queensland over the winter, and the horse only has to carry 55kg.
It’s a hot race but Moroney will be eyeing bigger and better things this campaign and this should be merely a stepping stone.
Expect a very strong performance.
Peter Moody’s Soros is the big danger after a convincing win resuming at Geelong two weeks back over 1300m.
He embarked on a Queensland Derby trip last year but didn’t quite make it to the race after contracting a virus.
Last spring was spent in Sydney where he won a couple of races, and now he’s back in Melbourne tuning up for a more lucrative spring this time around.
That resuming effort at Geelong netted a weight-adjusted figure of 99 and was his best performance in more than 12 months.
He’ll only improve with the extra trip too, and the extra 2.5kg shouldn’t bother him too much.
Lord Durante comes under notice in this one dropping back from the Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) where he was beaten 4.7L 11 days back.
He’s better placed over this trip and should run a very strong race carrying the minimum.
Darren Weir’s Means A Lot is next best after she was beaten two lengths in Saturday grade at Flemington 18 days.
The run produced a weight-adjusted Timeform figure of 104 which puts her well in the mix here.
