Mike Moroney and Pam Gerard made a big splash on Boxing Day with a rapidly improving three-year-old at the top of his game, and they are hoping New Year’s Day might bring something similar.
The Matamata trainers struck Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) gold at Pukekohe on Tuesday with the overlooked $21 outsider Pendragon, who was unplaced in the first three starts of his career but has won three in a row since then.
Gerard sees some similarities among the New Year’s Day contingent of Lingjun Xiongfeng, Force Of Law and Skaw Valley, who all head to Pukekohe on Monday with their confidence and form on an upward trajectory.
In-form five-year-old Lingjun Xiongfeng is the stable’s headline act, currently holding $5 favouritism for the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m).
Lingjun Xiongfeng was a maiden winner as a three-year-old in March of 2022, then placed in the Gr.2 Championship Stakes (2100m) a month later. He later struggled to push on from that early potential, and by the time he lined up in a Rating 65 at Pukekohe on December 9, he had gone 21 long months without a win. But he broke that drought with a spectacular finish from last among a 14-horse field, then stepped up to open company at Te Rapa two weeks later and produced an even more remarkable performance.
The grey entire again dropped out the back, then produced an explosive finish to sail past his seven opponents and score by five and a half lengths.
“He’s going super,” Gerard said. “He’s always shown us a huge amount of potential, but just in these last few weeks he’s really got a bit of confidence up. He also hasn’t been as colty as he used to be, so it’s been a real turnaround.
“I’ve been really happy with him since that last-start performance at Te Rapa. He just keeps improving every day. He’s absolutely flying at the moment.
“Our only reservation would be the weather forecast. We’re not quite sure how much rain they’re going to get between now and then. He’ll handle a little bit of cut out of the ground, but he probably wouldn’t want it to get too bad. Our other runners should handle an off track okay.”
Moroney and Gerard’s other runners are last-start placegetter Force Of Law in a star-studded Gr.2 Skycity Eclipse Stakes (1200m) and smart debut winner Skaw Valley in the Barfoot & Thompson (1600m).
“Force Of Law is another one that’s just starting to put it all together,” Gerard said. “That placing in his second start was a big step forward from his debut. He’s really going ahead in leaps and bounds.
“It’s a smallish but very good field on New Year’s Day, and we know that he’s a fair way down the list. But we’re really happy with him and he’s definitely going the right way. We wouldn’t be surprised to see him run well.
“Skaw Valley won nicely in his first start, although that was midweek and down the line. This is going to be a huge step up for him. But he’s another one that’s going in the right direction. He’s previously been quite a lazy worker, but he’s just recently starting to show a lot more interest in his work. If there’s a bit of rain around, it definitely won’t bother him.”