Maintaining 2014 Melbourne Cup odds of $26 since drawing the outside barrier 24 on Saturday evening, trainer Mike Moroney is confident classy German import Araldo is capable of a competitive display in Tuesday’s Race That Stops a Nation.
Araldo will leave from barrier 24 in the 2014 Melbourne Cup. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia
Steadily building to the task over four starts this time in, Araldo ran mid-pack in the Listed Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock Stakes (1700m) first-up, and while unlucky to be blocked for a run late when sixth in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) on September 20th, has responded well in running a pleasing third in the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) and fifth in the featured Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).
Conceding he did not initially want to run the High Chaparral entire in Tuesday’s Race 7 at Flemington, Moroney is confident the recent competitive form displayed by Araldo and work completed will allow a similar performance to his 2000 Melbourne Cup champion Brew.
“He put in a nice piece of work this morning,” Moroney said following Saturday evening’s Melbourne Cup barrier draw.
“It’s a little bit of a balance between time between runs, getting enough work into him and not overdoing a natural stayer so I think we’ve got the mix pretty right.
“This horse is well practiced at bad draws; he drew the outside in the Metrop and two from the outter in the Caulfield Cup so he’s well practiced.
“He’s a back-marker but in saying that Brew went forward and go in, it was a really ride from the draw … first thoughts are that we’ll just study and figure out if we go forward and have a little bit of a plan.
“I’d say we might try and get him mid-field or if we have to go right back, it will depend on how he jumps away.
“He’s a pretty lightly-raced horse and we haven’t given him very many starts, so we’ve probably taken til the last couple of starts to figure out what sort of horse he is.”
Claiming four wins and six minor places from his 15 competitive starts so far, Araldo began his racing career abroad in 2011 before transferring to the care of Moroney at the conclusion of his 2012 campaign in Germany and Italy.
Beating just one runner home in his Australian debut in August last year, the stallion out of Alanda quickly found his feet in finishing third in the Listed Penang Trophy (1800m) and winning the Listed Bart Cummings (2520m); returning to the paddock after finishing third in the Group 3 Lexus Stakes (2500m).
Registering competitive form around several of his Tuesday opponents, Araldo is more than worth consideration at $26 Melbourne Cup odds.
