Blueblood Kiwi Bred Mare Chasing More G1 Black Type

Media Release - Friday April 3

Valuable mare Tofane is set to tackle Saturday’s Group I T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) for trainer Michael Moroney, with the daughter of Ocean Park targeting further black-type after placing in the Group I Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill last start.

Tofane - image Grant CourtneyThe Group Three-winning mare is out of Baggy Green, a three-quarter sister to Group One winner Funstar and a half-sister Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) winner Youngstar, a filly Moroney was under-bidder on at the yearling sales.

Narrowly beaten by I Am Excited last start when carrying 51kgs, Tofane will race under weight-for-age conditions where she will carry 56.5kgs in a vintage T.J. Smith field. But Moroney feels a rain-affected track might challenge the stamina reserves of some of her rivals.

“It is a big rise in weights for her, which will be the toughest part but the 1200m will suit her better than the shorter trip last time,” Moroney said.

“If they get a fair bit of rain and it becomes a tough 1200m, that will really suit her.

“I think she gets through it and some don’t. There are a lot of high-class sprinters that struggle on wet ground because the 1200m becomes like 1400m. If it gets to that, that is where our mare will excel.

“I am really happy with her and I know that it is going to be a real challenge for her.”

Moroney is pleased to link with New Zealand jockey Opie Bosson who he believes will suit the mare.

“She has got gate speed as she showed in the Galaxy,” Moroney said. “In fact, we were worried earlier in her career that she was just too fierce but she is one we have spent a long time trying to teach to relax and I think we have won the battle. She is now capable of racing close-up and relaxing.

“If you believe in breeding, she is bred to get a long way further than 1200m, which might just play into her favour. At some stage, we would like to get her over a bit further.”

Bred by Curraghmore principal Gordon Cunningham, Tofane went through Moroney’s New Zealand stable, where he trains in partnership with Pam Gerard, and was sold to a number of Moroney’s major Australian clients after winning a trial impressively.

Advertisement

“We had a mare called Chicharita for Gordon, which we sold to Australia and he rang me and said he had kept a filly from the sales that he wanted to race and he wanted to put it through our New Zealand system,” Moroney said.

“She went to Pam and she had a trial and was quite impressive and we got a phone call from Gordon to say that he had been offered deals from a couple of Australian trainers. He gave us first option and we got her sold within the stable to some of our major owners.”

Moroney has a staff member in Sydney but will be unable to attend the races himself as an interstate trainer under Covid-19 restrictions, where 14 days’ quarantine would be required and he is thinking ahead when it comes to stable logistics.  

“We will likely send that staff member straight to Adelaide to do 14 days’ quarantine and then we would send a team across to her for the Adelaide carnival,” Moroney said.

Meanwhile, across the Tasman, Moroney is looking forward to tracks re-opening but understanding of the total lockdown scenario in New Zealand.

“We had to close our Matamata stable down but we’re a little bit lucky in that we’ve got 20 acres where some of the horses have stayed there and spelled there,” he said.

“Pam and Tommy (Hazlett) bought a nice property down the road, so we have got plenty of land to spell them so it is just a matter of when we can start bringing them back into work.”

Moroney indicated that Group One galloper Harlech will likely do his spring racing in Australia after a decent break. – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Juvenile Trial Watch – Warwick Farm
We had three heats for 2YO’s run at Warwick Farm on Friday morning over 815m with winners by Farnan, Ole Kirk and Kia Ora Stud’s first season sire Captivant, while Stay Inside had an impressive trial winner at Murray Bridge.
Rising HK Star for Embellish
Bulb General continued his electric form in Hong Kong to bring loftier targets into play for the son of Embellish.
First G1 Winner for St Marks Basilica - 1.7million Filly Undefeated
The top lot at the 2025 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale was a blueblood St Mark’s Basilica filly from blue hen Prudenzia that sold for €1.7million to MV Magnier and she became the first Group I winner for her sire when charging home to win the Group I Prix Marcel Boussac (1600m) at Longchamp.
Captivant Colt Shines at Warwick Farm Trials
Captivant’s burgeoning reputation for producing precocious 2YOs took another leap forward at today’s Warwick Farm trials, with Courthezon powering to victory in Heat 10.
Shamus Award Mare Chasing Another G1
Adverse weather has forced multiple Group One winner Quintessa to take an unorthodox route to next Saturday’s Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m), with the mare appearing at the Awapuni trials on Monday afternoon.
Aussie Bred Asfoora Wins Third G1 on Arc Day in France
Victorians breeders celebrated overnight with Aussie bred and owned Flying Artie mare Asfoora returning to her dazzling best on one of the world’s biggest stages to win the Group I Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp (1000m) with a scintillating performance on Arc Day in France.
Historic Day in Kalgoorlie - Old Meets the New
Kalgoorlie knows how to party, and on Cup day 2025 the party was big!
Aga Khan Homebred 3YO Colt - 2025 Arc de Triomphe Winner
The Group I Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) was run overnight at Longchamp and one of the world’s great races produced a thriller with blueblood €1.85 millionsale-topping Frankel filly Minnie Hauk going down by a head to the Aga Khan homebred Sea the Stars colt Daryz.
Wootton Bassett G1 Double on Arc Day
The shattering loss of Wootton Bassett (GB) has been highlighted at Longchamp in France on Arc Day where the champion sire added two new Group I winners to his tally in 2YO colt Puerto Rico and the former Aussie owned 3YO colt Maranoa Charlie.
Sires With Winners - Friday October 3
Here is the full list of 61 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.