Trainer Mike Moroney was understandably thrilled with Rhythm To Spare’s win in the Kilmore Cup on Sunday and has revealed he would like to set the six-year-old for an appearance in the Group 2 Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on December 12th.
Rhythm To Spare will be set for the Villiers Stakes after winning the Kilmore Cup over the weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos
Jumping from the gates well, jockey Mark Zahra allowed Rhythm To Spare to stride forward and take a position at the fore of the talented field; setting a reasonable tempo from the outset.
Rounding onto the final straight in prime position, the Pins gelding immediately responded when asked for an extra effort by Zahra; pulling clear and maintaining a strong enough sprint to beat Eximius by a head.
Moroney was understandably pleased with Rhythm To Spare’s performance for success in the Kilmore Cup, and while conceding the horse will have to handle with the opposite way of going in Sydney, is confident he is capable of success in the 2015 Villiers Stakes.
“He’s got right-handed form. He ran second twice in New Zealand going right-handed at the start of his career before he came to Australia,” Moroney told AAP.
“He also ran second in a Rough Habit Plate in Brisbane behind Hawkspur as a three-year-old before finishing fourth in the Queensland Derby.
“He has had a couple of starts in Sydney and did fail, but he just wasn’t going as well then.
“He was pretty unlucky in the Toorak Handicap a couple of years ago (2014) and you’d think that he’s up to the off-season milers in Australia.
“We are pretty keen on going up there.”
Rhythm To Spare has posted a commendable eight wins and four minors through only twenty-seven career starts since first appearing on course competitively in his native New Zealand in 2012.
Returning to racing this year for ninth in a Caulfield minor over 1400m on August 29th, Rhythm To Spare progressed to seventh in the Fight Cancer Foundation Handicap (1400m) before failing to fire and beating only one runner home in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) on October 10th.
Progressing to ninth in the Listed Sale Cup (1600m), Rhythm To Spare will be seeking a third-consecutive win in his next start having taken out the Antler Luggage BM96 (1600m) at Flemington on Stakes Day, in what was his only other appearance prior to the Kilmore Cup.
