WELLINGTON - Wellington Cup winner Second Coming will spearhead another strong attack on the Melbourne Cup by transtasman trainer Mike Moroney.
Moroney had three runners - Second Coming, Brew and Maridpour - in last year's Flemington feature and will nominate five horses for this year's contest.
Maridpour and Brew will again be entered along with Aggie's Heart and stable newcomer My Jaspa.
Second Coming and Maridpour had their first gallop this preparation at Flemington yesterday and Moroney is happy with their progress.
"Second Coming has come back well after the first decent spell of his career and is looking really well while Maridpour also looks particularly well," Moroney said.
He wants to give Second Coming two or three barrier trials before he kicks off his new campaign - possibly in the $A250,000 Craiglee Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 9.
"He's not really competitive until he gets up to 1600 metres and his programme will depend on how many trial runs I can give him," he said.
Moroney would like to give Second Coming up to seven races (including trials) before the $A3 million Melbourne Cup on November 7. He will be nominated for the Caulfield Cup as well.
The former Northern Hemisphere-trained Maridpour has been disappointing but Moroney remains hopeful he can make the grade. He will have to qualify for the Melbourne Cup this year, and a trip to Sydney for the Metropolitan Handicap (2600m) is likely.
Brew has been back in work three weeks after running fourth in the Brisbane Cup while Aggie's Heart has resumed work in Brisbane after being injured in the horrific Ipswich Cup fall.
Moroney's new acquisition My Jaspa, a four-year-old mare by Heroicity, has not raced for some time after suffering a tendon injury and will be worked mainly at the beach.
Moroney has this season won 79 races and $2.5 million from his transtasman operation of stables at Matamata and Flemington, including 11 at stakes level.
Moroney has 36 horses in work at Flemington and has high hopes for the rising three-year-olds Ghost Girl, She's A Lurring and Spinner Man. Ghost Girl won a trial in New Zealand and was placed at her only two starts in Melbourne while the other two are unraced.
The Matamata stable will be spearheaded by Danasinga filly Conquistar, who is building up for spring racing, but Moroney is unsure whether she will be fit for the Highview Stakes at Hastings on September 16.
- NZPA
Racing: Second Coming to lead assault
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