Moroney considers Harlech for Aust spring

Trainer Michael Moroney is assembling an impressive array of talent for the Melbourne spring.

Mike Moroney’s already impressive spring team is likely to be bolstered with the addition of a promising young galloper from the trainer’s New Zealand stable.

Moroney, whose Melbourne yard is taking all before it this season, has identified Harlech as a potential Australian carnival horse.

A rising four-year-old, Harlech is a Group Two winner over 1400m in New Zealand and was twice a runner-up at Group One level this season in the NZ 2000 Guineas and Levin Classic.

He had been considered for a possible Sydney autumn campaign this year before those ambitions were shelved.

Moroney has won two Australian Group One races this season with Alabama Express in the CF Orr Stakes in February and Tofane in the All Aged Stakes at Randwick last month.

Alabama Express has been retired to stud while Tofane is among Moroney’s spring contenders who are still spelling.

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Promising imports Buffalo River and Aktau are also in the paddock and will return to Moroney’s stable in the coming weeks to prepare for spring targets.

“We’re probably going to bring Harlech across from New Zealand,” Moroney said.

“He’ll come across for a crack at some of those bigger miles.”

Along with his Australian stable at Flemington, Moroney also runs a New Zealand training operation in partnership with Pam Gerard.

European import Aktau clinched Caulfield Cup qualification when he won the Mornington Cup in March before being sent for a spell.

Moroney said Aktau would return to work in around two weeks.

“Buffalo River will probably be about a week after that and Tofane about the same,” Moroney said.