Racing: Trainer aims at Caulfield Guineas

Precedence is preparing for another Victorian spring campaign.Picture / Getty Images

The horse Melbourne trainer Mike Moroney considers his best chance of a first Caulfield Guineas win begins his campaign on Saturday.

The unbeaten Merion resumes in the Mitchell McKenzie Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley having come through a similar path to that of last year's Guineas winner Long John.

Merion claimed his maiden at Bendigo over 1300m in late March before adding the Anzac Day Stakes (1410m) at Flemington by half a length.

Long John won the corresponding Bendigo maiden a year earlier and was a dominant winner of the Anzac Day Stakes by almost four lengths at his third start as a juvenile after also winning impressively at Sandown.

The 2013 Mitchell McKenzie Stakes launched the then Peter Snowden-trained Long John's 3-year-old spring campaign when he finished third to Cauthen and Shamus Award.

Moroney is excited about Merion's prospects and believes he has the talent to be a contender in the feature 3-year-old races.

"His main aim is going to be the Caulfield Guineas and then we'll just take it from there as to whether we go a bit further," Moroney said.

"He's a lovely horse and he's really matured as well with his break. To the eye he looks a better horse."

Saturday's race has attracted 26 nominations with a field limit of 13, plus four emergencies.

VRC Sires' Produce Stakes runner-up Awesome Rock is nominated to resume, as is Divan, who finished in a dead-heat for third in the Anzac Day Stakes on debut after coming from near last in the straight.

Merion and Divan are both at $21 for the Caulfield Guineas in October, while Awesome Rock is at $31.

Merion has had two jump-outs at Flemington to prepare for his return.

Moroney believes the O'Reilly gelding could find the 1200m around Moonee Valley too short but says it is the right starting point.

"He's bred to get a bit further and Steve [Arnold] said after Friday's jump-out he was starting to feel like 1200m is going to be a bit sharp for him," Moroney said.

Meanwhile, veteran stayer Precedence will have a jump-out on Friday before he begins a campaign aimed at winning his third Moonee Valley Gold Cup.

Precedence won the Moonee Valley Gold Cup in 2010 and relished the set weights and penalties conditions to claim the event again last year.

The 9-year-old has progressed well in his work at Bart and James Cummings' Flemington base to be fit enough for an unofficial trial.

"He's going well, ticking along and the guys are happy with him," James Cummings said. "He's on target and one of his main goals will be to defend his Moonee Valley Cup."

Cummings said Precedence would probably resume in a 1400m listed race next month before his likely second-up assignment in the JRA Cup at his favoured Moonee Valley circuit on September 26.