2014 Melbourne Cup bound mare Voleuse de Coeurs kicked up her spring preparation a notch on Friday morning with a Flemington jumpout ahead of her return next month.
Melbourne Cup hope Voleuse de Coeurs is on track for a 2014 Makybe Diva Stakes return next month. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.
Running in one of the 800m hit-outs at Victoria’s most famous track the Michael Moroney-trained Irish import finished at the tail end of the field but did everything asked at this early stage of her prep.
“She got run off her feet as you’d expect over half a mile and started to make late ground and rolled on an extra furlong,” Moroney told Racing Victoria.
“She’s got a winter coat, so that means she’s probably acclimatised.
“She seems to be going along well at this stage for a stayer, but it’s hard to get an early line on them.”
Formerly prepared by Dermot K Weld the daughter of Teofilo earned a trip down under after an ultra-impressive six length win in the Group 1 Irish St Leger (2816m) at the Curragh last September.
The Eliza Park-owned mare ran first-up off a 51 day let-up on the first Tuesday of November last Melbourne Cup Carnival then in the ‘race that stops a nation’.
Drawn out wide in barrier 21 for the $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m), Voleuse De Coeurs was ridden by star Kiwi expat James McDonald.
The pair where hampered near the 2000m mark however and unable to get past the top stayers eventually finishing eight lengths away 10th to just snare some prizemoney behind the Gai Waterhouse-trained winner Fiorente.
After a four month let-up post Melbourne Cup Voeuse De Coeurs returned for three autumn runs.
The first was a decent enough effort when fifth to Fiorente again this time in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m).
She was fifth again in a somewhat disappointing effort when failing to show much improvement next run in her Sydney debut on Golden Slipper Day beaten five lengths by current 2014 Cox Plate favourite Silent Achiever in the Group 1 The BMW (2400m).
Moroney then stepped her up to the two miles for a second time on Aussie soil this time at Randwick in the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m).
She had a luckless run in that April 19 feature when jumping from barrier 16 (of 17) to get caught three wide early before being put under enormous pressure by the turn for home.
Never really in the mix she finished 12th to The Offer, Waterhouse’s fellow Irish import now sitting top of the Ladbrokes.com.au markets to win the Melbourne Cup on November 4 for spring at $15 equal with Japanese raider Bande.
Voleuse De Coeurs meanwhile pays $34 to return and win this year’s Melbourne Cup clash.
She will get the chance to firm in those all-in Melbourne Cup odds when returning on September 13 in the $400,000 Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.
Moroney also ran his 2014 Caulfield Guineas hope Merion at Flemington on Friday morning seeing enough from the O’Reilly gelding to schedule a first-up run Saturday week at Moonee Valley in the $120,000 Listed McKenzie Stakes (1200m).
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