Coeur Volante resemblance prompts Moroney purchase

[Wandering Eyes]

Trans-Tasman trainer Mike Moroney went to $170,000 to secure the day’s top-lot on Day 2 of Book 2 of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale, a Proisir filly out of the Northern Meteor mare Polson, bought in conjunction with Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Catheryne Bruggeman.

Catalogued as Lot 896, Moroney was keen to secure the filly by the champion sire out of Rich Hill Stud’s draft, drawing physical similarities to a stable star.

“She is very similar to Coeur Volante,” Moroney said.

“From the time I saw her and watched her walk up, she just reminded me so much of her in colour and the whole lot.

“It’s a good filly family and we thought she was the right one for us.”

From the family of top-class mare Skating, Moroney again relied on the eyes of his brother Paul and Catheryne Bruggeman to identify the classy filly, with the trio also going to $240,000 for a Proisir filly out of Fascinate Me in Book 1.

“Paul and Catheryne have done all the ground work and they mentioned her to me quite early in the piece,” Moroney said.

Trainer Mike Moroney.
Photo: Trish Dunell

“Being a Proisir, they knew I’d been keen on them, so they showed me what they thought were the two best Proisir fillies in the catalogue and I bought both of them.

“When this filly got around here [parade ring] she wanted to run right through the bridle wanting to get right on with the job and that’s what Coeur Volante is like, too.

“They’re nice athletes. There’s a lot of balance about them, a nice amount of rein, and big nostrils.”

Moroney said Coeur Volante was likely to return to the stable next week, with the Group Two winner who finished fourth in the Gr.1 Caulfield 1000 Guineas (1600m) likely to target Queensland.

“We’re going to head towards the Stradbroke (Gr.1, 1400m), all going well. There’s a race called the Fred Best (Gr.3, 1400m) that she will be aimed at which is exempt from the ballot (for the Stradbroke),” Moroney said.

“She’ll be a lightweight chance. We’ll give her a pretty light campaign, we’ll head up there and then come back down for the spring.

“She’s a late foal, pretty immature, so we’ve given her a nice long break. We decided to miss the autumn mainly and concentrate on the winter.”

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