Racing: Mighty Lions roars home and don't her fans love it

Mike Moroney has missed being on course for a group one win he has shared as trainer, but never when he's been in the same country.

Moroney was in New Zealand yesterday, but attending his daughter Aliesha's 17th birthday party and was not on course to see The Mighty Lions win the $150,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Avondale Cup.

But he was ably represented at the victory ceremony by his training partner Andrew Scott and the 10 Gold And Blue syndicate members, who made enough noise for 200.

And good on them.

The mates from the Mt Albert Rugby League Club have been magnificent supporters of the Avondale Cup.

A few years ago they brought The Lion's Roar back from Australia to finish third in a very strong field in the Cup and last year they dragged The Mighty Lions over the Tasman to finish runner-up to Regal Krona.

"She deserved it," said syndicate spokesman Dave Nicholson.

"She was beaten in the Hobart Cup via a bad ride and was not a well horse at the time."

The key to The Mighty Lions is that she races well when fresh. Last year she raced at the Melbourne Cup carnival and was not as fresh as she prefers at Avondale.

She is raced by the league boys on lease from Windsor Park Stud, who have already extended the lease once and require her back for breeding.

She was recently mated with Windsor's relatively new stallion Black Manalouche, the net effect being she had not raced for eight weeks when she stepped out onto the track yesterday.

Scott said The Mighty Lions was an angry mare when she returned to Matamata.

"Maybe the visit to the stallion perked her up."

Two of the syndicate owners, Dave Nicholson and Phil Heath, have a share in the Scott/Moroney exciting 3-year-old stayer Xcellent, a real chance to take the $500,000 Mercedes Derby at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.

You got the impression there were diners somewhere in Auckland last night that were going to hear the names Xcellent and The Mighty Lions from a nearby table.

Mike Moroney said he was confident The Mighty Lions could win the group one event without a traditional tough build-up.

"I know Scott was getting a bit worried, but I said: 'just give her a quiet barrier trial and she'll be fine - I know her'."

The Mighty Lions was beautifully ridden by Andrew Calder.

She received the perfect sit on the rails behind the leading bunch.

There was always the chance from there she may not receive racing room and that happened briefly, but once into the open she tore into her work to defy the opposition narrowly.

Calder rode Regal Krona to win the Cup last year.

There were no hard luck stories, but a couple said 'what if'.

Race sponsor Peter Vela, principal of New Zealand Bloodstock, nearly pulled it off when his mare Stanica failed by only a long head to grab the winner.

Australian jockey Scott Seamer said what if the immature mare had had more experience.

"She is still learning," said Seamer.

"Ideally you wanted to go forward on her early, but if you do that she'd over race. So we settled further back than I would have liked and she did really well to get up for a close second.

"She wanted to stay in behind that grey horse (Tantalic) when I wanted to pull her out in the straight - she's about six months off her best. Her time will come," said the visiting jockey.

Regal Krona finished just behind the placegetters in his attempt to win an historic third Avondale Cup.

Rider Leith Innes did not consider himself unlucky, but said the breaks did not go the way Regal Krona likes.

"I tried to get him out into the open from the 700m, but with no luck and I thought, bugger it, I'll ride him for luck and for an inside run."

Innes said he had been warned that Regal Krona did not react well until he was in the open.

"That's for sure. He got right up in behind them and wouldn't stretch out until he was properly clear right on the line.

"He really stretched out after we went over the line, but 100m past the post is 100m too late.

"There is definitely a good race left in the old fellow."