Group winner to check into Melbourne

Sound Check (GER) (Lando (GER}) will strengthen the Melbourne spring carnival hand of Michael Moroney following the purchase of the stayer by his brother Paul with the Irish bloodstock agency Kerr & Co.

Formerly trained by Peter Schiergen, he won the G2 Oleander-Rennen over 3200 metres two starts ago and last time out he finished runner-up in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin over 2400 metres behind Best Solution.

Sound Check will join the Newmarket stable of Ed Vaughan, who will supervise his preparation before and during quarantine ahead of his departure for Australia later in September and his new Flemington quarters at Ballymore Stables.

The five-year-old is qualified for both the G1 Caulfield Cup and the G1 Melbourne Cup.

Michael Moroney’s carnival arsenal has also been bolstered by his brother’s purchase of Marathon Man (GB) So You Think {NZ}). He is a four-time winner and finished runner-up in the G3 La Couple over 2000 metres at Longchamp last time out.

The G1 Toorak H., and the G1 Emirates S., are seen as likely spring targets.

High temperature rules out Sunlight

The spring preparation of the Group 1 performer Sunlight (Zoustar) has been interrupted by an elevated temperature.

Trainer Tony McEvoy has been forced to abandon plans to run the 3-year-old in Saturday’s G2 Run To The Roses at Rosehill, two weeks out from the G1 Golden Rose.

Sunlight has won six times from nine appearances including last season’s G2 Silver Slipper and the G3 Magic Night S. Last time out she won the G3Quezette S.

Kris Lees’ unbeaten 3-year-old Graff (Star Witness) is the $2.50 pre-post favourite for the Run To The Rose.

He is also the $6 equal favourite in the Golden Rose alongside The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice), who is due to make his seasonal debut in Saturday's G2 Stan Fox S.

Cup not on Hartnell’s agenda

There’ll be no G1 Melbourne Cup for Hartnell (GB) (Authorized {IRE}) this time around.

The import has run in the last three editions of the staying feature and finished third in 2016, but is not entered this year.

“I think Hartnell just wants to be kept a little more on the fresh side and kept to being a sprinter-miler,” trainer James Cummings said. “I think he's going to reward us that way.”

Hartnell will run in this Saturday’s G2 Dato Tan Chin Nam S., and he was at Moonee Valley in Tuesday morning for a solo gallop at a venue he has previously placed in a G1 Cox Plate.

The seven-year-old, who will be ridden by Craig Williams, finished runner-up when resuming last time in the G2 PB Lawrence S, a race he won last year.

Push for more locals

A record 50 international entries for the G1 Melbourne Cup now has the Victoria Racing Club pushing for local content raising the possibility of an incentive.

"One thing at the VRC we're really keen on pushing up for is the stayers, especially the locals," Executive General Manager of Racing Leigh Jordon said.

"We're having a bit of a look now to what incentives we could provide for locally bred horses. Could we look at a bonus for a locally bred horse that wins the Melbourne Cup? This is the state of stayers and we should be doing something to encourage our locally bred horses. "

"Japan could never win the Japan Cup, but they turned it around, so why can't we."

Weights for the G1 Caulfield Cup and G1 Melbourne Cup will be freleased next week by Greg Carpenter.

NZ Harness world rocked

The New Zealand standardbred industry has been stunned by widespread police investigations into race fixing, corruption and drugs.

Raids were made on properties in Canterbury, Invercargill and Manawatu and while no arrests have been made, sources within the code expect charges to follow.

Prominent figures interviewed included Natalie Rasmussen, John Dunn, Blair Orange, Nigel McGrath and Andrew Stuart and the house of champion driver Dexter Dunn, who is currently in the United States, was also allegedly searched.

Ten stables were raided with computers and phones seized and Racing Minister Winston Peters has voiced his deep disappointment at developments.