Sydney Cup topweight Voleuse De Coeurs is facing many hurdles in her quest to win her first race on Australian soil at Randwick on Saturday.
Voleuse De Coeurs has plenty of hurdles to overcome in the Sydney Cup. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
As well as the Irish import being lumped with 58kgs, Voleuse De Coeurs came up with the horror gate of sixteen in the seventeen horse field when barriers were drawn for the Group 1 $1m Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) on the second day of ‘The Championships’.
And the prospect of another wet track has trainer Mike Moroney a little bit concerned about her chances in the Autumn Carnival two mile staying feature.
“Barrier sixteen is not a great help,” Moroney said.
“She got a fair bit against her. Track conditions, she struggled here last time at Rosehill, hope this will be a little bit different.”
“She was coming off a really nice run in the Australian Cup on top- of the ground.”
“I think she has got some things against her, she is s quality mare so hope she can rise above that.”
Moroney took over the training of the Irish mare after she won the Group 1 €200,000 Gain Irish St Leger (1 mile, 6 furlongs) at the Curragh in Ireland on September 15, 2013 and he knows that she has plenty of class to help her on the weekend.
One thing in her favour is the five year old’s ability to handle the 3200m with two wins over the distance in Galway and at the Curragh in Ireland in 2012.
Voleuse De Coeurs’ only unplaced run over the 3200m was a tenth in last year’s Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington when she was having her first run for the Moroney stable.
Top Melbourne jockey Glen Boss will be aboard Voleuse De Coeurs again after riding her at her two runs this campaign which resulted in a fifth to Fiorente in the Group 1 $1m Darley Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 8 and a fifth to Silent Achiever in the Group 1 $1.5m The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill on April 5 on a heavy track.
Boss was disappointed after The BMW run and had expected her to handle the wet conditions better.
“Glen Boss thought she’d fly through the wet, but she struggled, and when he came in he was staggered, and more or less said she wasn’t really comfortable on it,’’ Moroney told News Limited.
Voleuse De Coeurs is marked as a $9 chance alongside of Sertorius for the Sydney Cup with Ladbrokes.com.au while the Gai Waterhouse trained The Offer is the ruling favourite at $3 ahead of New Zealand stayer Who Shot Thebarman at $5.50.
