Voleuse De Coeurs kicks off Melbourne Cup campaign in Underwood Stakes

Irish import Voleuse De Coeurs is set to kick off her 2014 Melbourne Cup campaign in the Group 1 $400,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Voleuse De Coeurs kicks off her Melbourne Cup campaign in the Underwood Stakes

Voleuse De Coeurs kicks off her Melbourne Cup campaign in the Underwood Stakes. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Voleuse De Coeurs is one of twenty-five horses nominated for the weight for age race which also includes last Saturday’s Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes winner Dissident.

Moroney is aiming Voleuse De Coeurs towards the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4 and is hoping for a better result than year when the Teofilo mare ran tenth to Fiorente.

Moroney has also nominated Araldo for the Underwood Stakes but is leaning to run the German import in the Group 3 $150,000 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) also at Caulfield on Saturday.

“We’d prefer to run Araldo over the 2000 metres of the Naturalism and the mare can kick off her campaign in the Underwood over 1800,” Moroney told Racing Network.

The Naturalism Stakes is exempt free for the Group 1 $2.5m Crown Golden Ale Caulfield Cup at Caulfield on October 18 with the winner guaranteed a start in the rich 2400m Spring Carnival feature.

Caulfield trainer Peter Moody said that there is a chance the he will back up Dissident in the Underwood Stakes this week as he seeks to plot a path towards the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 25.

“We could back up in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on Saturday,” Moody told the Herald Sun.

Moody has also entered French import Lidari for Saturday’s weight for age feature.

Sydney’s premier trainer Chris Waller has nominated seven for the Underwood Stakes and includes Group 1 winner Foreteller, Junoob and Our Voodoo Prince as well as Hawkspur, Moriarty, Royal Descent and Sacred Falls with those four also nominated in the Group 1 $350,000 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Top class Kiwi mare Silent Achiever is set to continue her Spring Carnival campaign after an encouraging first up fifth to Dissident in the Group 1 $400,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 30.

While Melbourne Cup favourite The Offer is ready to step out for the second time this Spring after an eye catching first up fifth to The Cleaner in the Group 2 $250,000 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on September 6.

Happy Trails was well beaten as his second run back when eighth in the Memsie Stakes but the Paul Beshara trained seven year old will be better suited over 1800m as he heads towards the Cox Plate.

Star Rolling will also gets a chance to redeem himself in the Underwood Stakes after running sixth in a blanket finish behind The Cleaner at Moonee Valley following his win in the Group 2 $200,000 Back To Caulfield P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 16.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.