Last start Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) winner Dragon Storm (NZ) (Shocking) will be back in action at Flemington this weekend when he contests the Listed Bagot Handicap (2800m) on New Year’s Day.
Last year’s Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner had been out of form leading into his Sandown Cup triumph and trainer Michael Moroney view’s the New Year’s Day feature as another winnable target.
“He seems to have trained on well. I know he has had time between runs but he is a natural stayer and he is coming back from 3200m to the 2800m,” Moroney said.
“He is a happy horse and has had a power work going into Saturday. He is a pretty simple horse to train, he gets through a lot of work and he is pretty clean winded so there is no reason why he can’t go on from the form from the other day.”
Moroney has tried to put some speed in the legs of the seven-year-old son of Shocking to have him ready for the slightly shorter trip.
“I sharpen him up on a Tuesday and do little bit different work with him,” Moroney said. “He is fit and ready to go.
“It doesn’t look the strongest race but saying that, the Sandown Cup wasn’t overly strong either so it is pretty similar.”
Last start Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) winner Smokin’ Romans looms as the horse to beat but will lump 60kgs in the $200,000 staying feature.
Blaike McDougall who rode Dragon Storm patiently when winning last start has retained the ride, while Michael Dee will ride stablemate Lady In The Sky.
