LEADING trainer Mike Moroney was forced to defend the riding tactics of Damien Oliver minutes after imported stayer Drunken Sailor was narrowly beaten in yesterday's group 2 Adelaide Cup, reports The Age. Its report adds: With Drunken Sailor looking home over the final 300 metres, he was cut down 40 metres out by the little-known South Australian stayer Rialya. But Moroney was incensed about any criticism levelled against Oliver, maintaining one of Australia's great jockeys could have done littl

LEADING trainer Mike Moroney was forced to defend the riding tactics of Damien Oliver minutes after imported stayer Drunken Sailor was narrowly beaten in yesterday's group 2 Adelaide Cup, reports The Age.

Its report adds: With Drunken Sailor looking home over the final 300 metres, he was cut down 40 metres out by the little-known South Australian stayer Rialya.

But Moroney was incensed about any criticism levelled against Oliver, maintaining one of Australia's great jockeys could have done little more to get the import home.

''He'd ridden the horse perfectly all the way and it's unfair to say that he went too early on the horse,'' he said.

The trainer went on to explain that he had taken the blinkers off Drunken Sailor in a bid to make the horse settle but knew that by changing the gear he had left open the chance of the six-year-old stargazing.

''You couldn't ask for a better ride, don't forget he had barrier 20 and nearly 60 kilos on his back and I was quite happy that he went when he did. The horses inside him were going nowhere and he didn't have anything in front of him that would give him a significant trail into the finish,'' Moroney said.

''I know I was worried when he got to the front and while he was a couple of lengths clear he started to look around. But you can't have your cake and eat it too. You've got to take the blinkers off to make him settle so once you've got him settled, the problem is at the other end of the race he's liable to look around.

''I know Damien was worried about it and so was I but there's nothing we could do about it.''