PRIX DU SANG PASSES FIRST TEST

By Graham Potter | Saturday, May 2, 2009

Gold Coast - Class 6 Handicap - 1800m. Time: 1-48.38. Track: Good 3. Rail: True.
1 Priz Du Sang; 2 Humma; 3 Hear Ye.

It was only a Class 6 Handicap, but the first race at the Gold Coast on Prime Minister’s Cup day was an important stepping stone for the Mike Moroney trained Prix Du Sang. Two upcoming feature races have been targeted for this daughter of Red Ransom and the Gold Coast result – which came first-up after a five week break from action - gave some indication of where she stood in relation to those plans.

Prix Du Sang raced midfield until approaching the turn where she began her forward move. While she never had to slow her momentum, she was in danger of being of being baulked for a run early in the straight. The luck she needed came when Fat Possum, the runner who could have held her in, tired markedly and left Prix Du Sang in clear running.

The chase still had to be converted into a victory though and Kerrin McEvoy and Prix Du Sang set about completing that task. The acceleration, as you would expect from a stayer, was not dramatic, but she gradually reeled in those ahead of her, including the game, long-time leader Humma, who she collared in the very last stride. Hear Ye finished third.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Michael Moroney: “She is a light-framed filly, not dissimilar to Eskimo Queen. Always showed us she was pretty good ... and we always had a plan to get her here. But she just had a bit of bad luck. Some things went wrong and she was a bit immature, so we couldn’t make it to the fillies’ races over there (in New Zealand).

“We had to take our time with her, so we always had a plan to do something with her in the Autumn or the Winter. She hasn’t run for five weeks, so whatever she did today she’s going to improve upon. She’ll go to the Doomben Roses now and then hopefully she’ll go on to the Oaks. I don’t think Kerrin (McEvoy) has any other engagement there, but, you know, if you hoping to put Kerrin on, you run the risk of Darley running something.”
This was Prix Du Sang’s second win from seven starts.
The Group 3 Doomben Roses will be run at Doomben on May 16.