Top New Zealand galloper Wall Street is set to make his debut for the Mike Moroney stable in the Group 1 $500,000 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Moroney bought Wall Street as a yearling and won a barrier trial with him as a three year old and it looked as if he had a promising career ahead of him.
But the Montjeu gelding knocked a tendon in the trial and had to be sent out for a long spell.
Wall Street was then transferred to trainer Jeff Lynds who was able to give the gelding plenty of beach work which resulted in eleven wins from twenty-eight starts including four Group 1s.
“We actually bought him as a yearling and he was in my stable as a three-year-old and he won his only barrier trial and then knocked a tendon and was out for a few months,” Moroney said.
“He went down to a beach and that’s when we lost him basically.
“We bought him for our clients and the same clients are still in him and we just put a few more in.”
The seven year old hasn’t raced since finishing sixth to Albert The Fat in the Group 1 $1m Emirates Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on the last day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival last year, a race that he won the year before.
The multiple Group 1 winner performed well during the Spring last year without any success and was beaten less than two lengths when fourth behind Pinker Pinker in the Group 1 $3m Tatts Cox Plate (2040) at Moonee Valley.
Moroney was pleased with the condition of Wall Street when he arrived at his Melbourne stables and expects a good first up performance.
“He’s a great big, powerful sort of horse. I think you’ll see a bigger version of him (now),” Moroney said.
“When I saw him when he got over here he was pretty well race-hard fit.
“He’s a horse who has never carried a lot (of condition) but he’s got quite strong to look at now.
“He’s obviously a quality horse. He’s only had 28 starts and won 11 so he’s got a pretty good record and is lightly raced for his age.
“The barrier draw (gate eight in a field of 10) is a bit of a trick. We’ll probably ride him back off them a bit from that draw but he’s well forward to do something.
“He hasn’t got a huge first-up record but he usually runs well and has always run in good company.”
Wall Street who is to be ridden by Damien Oliver, is currently $7.50 in Futurity betting with fellow New Zealander King Mufhasa heading the market at $2.60 just ahead of Cox Plate winner Pinker Pinker at $3.50.
Moroney will aim Wall Street towards the Group 2 $200,000 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on March 10 after Caulfield and then onto Sydney and possibly onto Brisbane for the winter.
