Trainer Michael Moroney has revealed that he will be instructing jockey Damian Browne to settle Asadauskaite towards the tail of the field in the 2014 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Damian Browne will partner Asadauskaite in the Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm tomorrow. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Asadauskaite was well-backed in the lead-up to the Group 2 The Roses (2000m) at Doomben on May 17, after she flashed home to finish third in the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) on May 3, but tired badly in the final stages of the race to finish 13th after Browne opted to press forward on the daughter of Pentire in the early stages of the race.
Moroney told Racing Ahead that he was disappointed with the performance of Asadauskaite in The Roses, but believes that she will now be at peak fitness heading into the Queensland Oaks this weekend.
“It was below par,” Moroney said.
“Last minute when I spoke to Damien he said that if she flew the gates he wouldn’t mind going forward because he didn’t think there was much speed on and we might be clutching at straws, but that may not be the way to ride her.
“On times they ran just outside the race record, but she got across without doing a lot and travelled lovely and the leader was starting to get in his way coming around the corner so he peeled off quiet early, but he had no sooner done that when she rounded off.
“We got a little bit fitter and if I had to question last start she did miss a gallop with a mate on Tuesday and I thought we got enough work into her by herself, but maybe she was short of fitness, but she won’t be short of fitness this week.”
Asadauskaite will jump from barrier 14 in the Queensland Oaks, once the emergencies are removed, and Moroney believes that there are no options other than to go back on the three-year-old.
The leading trainer of stayers said that the majority of horses out of Pentire perform at their best when given an opportunity to settle in their races and it hoping that the quiet approach will help Asadauskaite produce an improved performance in the Queensland Oaks.
“My first thought, based on what happened the other day, is that we will be going back from that draw,” Moroney said.
“I think that most of the Pentire that I have trained have been horses that like to find their own rhythm and the better ones I have trained by Pentire have been that way.
“We will be riding her that way to get breathing properly, get her into a rhythm and give her a chance to run the trip.”
Asadauskaite is currently available at 2014 Queensland Oaks of $41 to give Moroney his second win in the race after take out the 2007 edition of the Group 1 event with Eskimo Queen.
