By Michael Guerin
Paul Moroney was left shaking his head yesterday.
The leading Waikato bloodstock consultant manages the syndicate which races exciting 3-year-old Greenstone Charm, a shock ballot in Saturday's $100,000 Whakanui Stud International Stakes at Te Rapa.
Greenstone Charm was made first emergency by the Waikato Racing Club yesterday even though he has a last-start third in the group one weight-for-age JRA Classic over 2000m to his name.
In the field before him are out of form veterans Marconee and Lord Majestic and honest handicapper The Message.
Greenstone Charm has only had four starts for two wins but is thought so highly of by trainer Mike Moroney that he was thrown in at the deep end in the JRA Classic last month.
"That race proved he was up to weight-for-age class and we expected that to be enough to earn him a start in these other major weight-for-age races," said Paul Moroney.
The conditions of the International Stakes include a discretionary clause which would have allowed the Waikato Racing Club to include Greenstone Charm in the field regardless of how the handicapper rated the field.
"But they chose not to use those discretionary powers and I think that was a bad choice, logically and economically," said Moroney.
Champion jockey Lance O'Sullivan had been engaged for Greenstone Charm and he opened second favourite in the fixed odds market.
"Apart from the fact that he is a proven weight-for-age horse and should have been in the race the club has cost themselves a lot of money."
Horse Racing: Decision staggers Moroney
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.