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Michael Moroney Trained Group One Winning Tofane Has Spring Ambitions having been selected by Yulong Investments as their elite-level Everest contender.
The ancient Italian Dolomites' mountain group inspired Michael Moroney’s choice of name for the horse which has him aptly hoping to scale the Everest.
The Gr.1 All Aged Stakes-winning Tofane led in her final stride of the All Aged Stakes, gunning down the retiring Pierata at the post.
Trainer Michael believes that Tofane is one of the leading contenders for the Everest, the field for which comprises the greatest sprinters in the world.
“She is from New Zealand which has a right-handed track and the track at Royal Randwick is also right-handed so I believe she will be very comfortable with the track.”
“She is very comfortable traveling away from Flemington now," he said.
“She’s a pretty good mare. I’m thinking she’ll run well and if they do get a lot of rain and it turns into a tough 1200 meters, that will suit her,” said Moroney in an interview elsewhere.
Nothing gets tougher than the best sprinters in the world on a wet track on Everest day.
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“I have a runner in the 2020 Caufield Cup (Aktau) on the same day and due to the COVID restrictions, the Melbourne-based ownership group will not be able to attend the race. We are all quite disappointed”
“We need to see what happens with Covid-19 otherwise we would definitely like to go international. We were hoping to go to Royal Ascot next year.”
“She is a lightly raced mare and we wouldn't be opposed to traveling her. We want to race her in the big money Group One races.”
“Tofane is from a staying family and wasn't bred to be a sprinter."
"She is sired by Cox Plate winner Ocean Park while her second dam User Friendly was the 1992 European Horse of the Year. She won four Group One races in a row.
His broodmare sire, Galileo was a strong stayer and he produces strong staying horses,” said Moroney of his stable star,” Moroney explained.
“Neil Werrett, who also owns multi-Group winning mare Black Caviar, prominent Australian Thoroughbred owner Rupert Legh, are majority co-owners along with several others," he said.
Moroney faced a unique challenge during Tofane’s early days in training.
“One of the biggest challenges we had with her was that we had to teach her to relax. She was very aggressive in the beginning.”
Based on feedback we decided that she needed to learn to settle or she wouldn’t become a top-class sprinter.”
“Over time she has become the ‘perfect student’. She’s learned to relax and to win races at the highest level,” said Moroney proudly.
“Tofane is very smart and straightforward. She was a bit shy and timid at the start but she has grown out of that and she hasn't got any vices. She has in effect become a perfect student.”
“She ticks all the right boxes for an Everest winner.”