A former Golden Slipper prospect and an imported mare are on a path to the spring carnival after landing a winning double for trainer Mike Moroney and jockey Lisa Cropp.Shin soreness thwarted Golden Slipper plans for African Pulse who was an impressive race debut winner of Wednesday's Premier Signs Hcp (1000m) only 35 minutes before lightly raced English mare Park View landed the Race-Tech Hcp (1600m).Moroney is now hopeful both horses will be significant players in the spring.He is particularly
A former Golden Slipper prospect and an imported mare are on a path to the spring carnival after landing a winning double for trainer Mike Moroney and jockey Lisa Cropp.
Shin soreness thwarted Golden Slipper plans for African Pulse who was an impressive race debut winner of Wednesday's Premier Signs Hcp (1000m) only 35 minutes before lightly raced English mare Park View landed the Race-Tech Hcp (1600m).
Moroney is now hopeful both horses will be significant players in the spring.
He is particularly excited about African Pulse who won three jump-outs before finally getting to the races.
Cropp shares Moroney's enthusiasm and declared better wins ahead for him after he came out on top in a two horse duel with stakes-placed The Counterfeiter to score by a length. Third placed Sammartini was eight lengths away in the heavy ground.
"This horse is going places, that for sure," Cropp said.
"I don't think I got to the bottom of him today."
Moroney said African Pulse had been the most precocious of his two-year-olds this season.
He said after he won a jump-out in New Zealand he was being aimed at the NZ Magic Millions before he went shinsore and was immediately sent to Melbourne.
"We had him in the Golden Slipper for a long time but he went shinsore again after one jump out."
Moroney was confident of a big run at Sandown after the colt recently posted his most impressive jump out victory.
"He is not overly big but he is very fast," Moroney said.
He said the priority was now for African Pulse to win a Saturday city race to lift his rating to a level where he can qualify to compete against the better horse in the spring.
Park View was one of 10 horses Moroney's brother Paul, bought in England.
She won once in seven starts there and is unbeaten in two Australian runs for Moroney after beating a class one field at Cranbourne last month.
Also among Moroney's purchases was Group One performer Glass Harmonium who finished second to My Kingdom Of Fife in Saturday's Group Two Hollindale Stakes.
Moroney said it was a good time to capitalise on the strength of the Australian dollar and Park View cost $80,000 including $25,000 transport to Australia.
"She's a winner up to 2200 metres and placed at 2400 so that probably helped her today," Moroney said.
After being headed in the straight, Park View rallied to score by 1-1/2 lengths from Mayneda Strategy and Third Day.
"I would say she's Saturday's mares' class at least and she will get over 2400 metres at some stage and might be a country Cups horse," Moroney said.