As Sound strives to win a third consecutive Zipping Classic, trainer Mike Moroney has labelled stablemate Chapada as possibly the most frustrating horse he has trained.
Moroney is convinced if the Chapada he sees in trackwork at Flemington turns up in Saturday’s Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) at Caulfield, he will be hard to beat.
But Moroney is constantly left scratching his head after Chapada posts disappointment after disappointment with only three wins to his credit from 39 starts.
Moroney is convinced Chapada has a good win in him and admits he is running out of patience with the seven-year-old who disappointed when fifth in the Group 3 Archer Stakes (2500m) at Flemington on October 29.
“He worked up on Tuesday like a Group 1 horse,” Moroney said.
“We’ve done all the tests, and nothing shows up. We’ve done a dynamic scope, thinking it might be wind, but it’s not, we’ve had heart monitors on him, and we can’t find anything abnormal there.
“So, we’re hoping it’s just the ground and if it’s just the ground, he’ll win it on Saturday.”
While Moroney has been frustrated with Chapada’s form, Sound has been a cause of frustration for the trainer for another reason.
After stints in New Zealand over the past two years trying to find a suitable stud, Moroney has been forced to race the 10-year-old as attempts continue to find the entire a home.
Sound finds his best form in late spring and on Saturday attempts a third Zipping Classic win.
Zipping won the then Sandown Classic on four occasions from 2007 to 2010 and while Moroney has not ruled out another shot for Sound in 12 months’ time, he doubts it will be on the entire’s agenda.
Sound finished ninth in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup last month before running fourth in the Group 3 Queens Cup (2600m) at Flemington on November 5.
“I don’t think he’s going any worse than last year, but he’s got to jump away, which he did last start,” Moroney said.
“In the Caulfield Cup he missed it and put himself out of the race. He possibly should have run in the first five if he jumps well.
“We won’t go back to New Zealand. He’ll go for a bit of a break after Saturday and then we’ll look at the autumn, whether that’s the Sydney Cup, or we look at something else.”