Moroney upbeat with African Pulse

By Robert Windmill

Trainer Mike Moroney is hoping to feed off a recent trend and score an upset with lightly-raced three-year-old African Pulse in the Oakleigh Plate.

Seven of the last 10 winners of the Group One 1100-metre sprint at Caulfield have started at $10 or longer and Moroney believes African Pulse is capable of adding to the record as Sepoy and Bel Sprinter fight out favouritism.

Like his two key rivals, African Pulse has also only been beaten once in his career, winning three of his four runs, and is on the third line of betting at $15.

The handicap conditions facilitate the unpredictability of the Oakleigh Plate with the most notable upsets in recent years being Sudurka ($26 in 2002), Swiss Ace ($31 in 2009 and Eagle Falls last year at $21.

An easing $2.80 favourite and 58kg topweight, Sepoy has won 10 of his 11 starts and will set an Oakleigh Plate weight-carrying record for a three-year-old while African Pulse has just 52kg.

Bel Sprinter has won five of his six starts and with 54kg the four-year-old has been a spectacular firmer in betting from $4.40 to $3.10.

Moroney decided the Oakleigh Plate was a more suitable mission for African Pulse than last week's Lightning Stakes which was the intended target until Black Caviar switched to the weight-for-age feature.

"It was hard to see that he was going to get anywhere near her," Moroney said.

"He's only a young sprinter and we thought it was just going to be a real heart-wrenching race if we ran him so we decided to take this easier option where he is far better weighted."

Moroney said African Pulse had the gate speed to be in the first six from barrier seven.

"He's a very good chance," Moroney said.

"He will go out in the first half dozen and we just hope he can get a clear run at them."

Moroney said that if the race developed into a duel to the line he was confident African Pulse would rally.

"He is a horse who really loves a fight," Moroney said.

African Pulse's win over flying filly Karuta Queen at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day underlined his courage.

"Just the way he did that I thought was very impressive," Moroney said.

"When he got alongside Karuta Queen that day he really pulled it out."

Moroney said it was similar scenario when first-up at Caulfield last start when Hot Spin ranged up to him in the 1000-metre sprint.

"He had been softened up a couple of times in the run and I thought he (Hot Spin) was going to run past him but he (African Pulse) was pulling away going to the line," Moroney said.

"I think he is very good sprinter.

"For a horse who is lightly raced he's shown he is going to be up to Group class and hopefully Group One."

© Australian Associated Press Pty Limited (AAP) 2012

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