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Katsidis eyes comeback win on Glistening

Friday 3 July 2009
By Glenn Davis

Trainer Mike Moroney believes Glistening can give jockey Stathi Katsidis a winning comeback in the Queensland Cup at Eagle Farm at what could be the former English stayer's last Australian run ahead of a New Zealand campaign next year.

Katsidis was given a doctor's clearance this week to resume his riding career on Saturday after being out of the saddle for the past 14 months.

He hasn't ridden since incurring a six-month drug disqualification and being sidelined with a compound fracture of his left leg suffered when breaking in horses last year.

Moroney plans to spell Glistening after the Queensland Cup and will then send him to New Zealand to do his future racing.

"I think he'll be well suited to our staying races at home and I'm looking at the Auckland and Wellington Cups in the New Year with him," he said.

Moroney is ignoring Glistening's 3200-metre record, which stands at five starts for no placings, ahead of the Queensland Cup.

"I'm not worried about the trip and this race doesn't look particularly strong," said Moroney, who won the 2000 Melbourne Cup with Brew.

Glistening has been under Moroney's care for the past 12 months after previously being trained in Melbourne by Lee Freedman and by Luca Cumani in England.

The Sadler's Wells gelding ran well when sixth to Phaze Action in the Listed Andrew Ramsden over the Queensland Cup distance at Flemington on May 16 before finishing second on a heavy track over 3000 metres at Moonee Valley.

The rising eight-year-old then finished well back in 15th place on a good surface in the Group Three Tattersall's Cup at Eagle Farm on June 20.

"I was a bit disappointed with his run in the Tatt's Cup but the track was a little too firm for him," Moroney said.

Glistening was formerly owned by a syndicate headed by Starcraft's owner Paul Makin when he was in the care of Freedman and Cumani before he was sold and transferred to Moroney.

Glistening was brought to Australia by Cumani for the 2006 Melbourne Cup but could manage only 10th to Japanese stayer Delta Blues.

"I watched him run in the Melbourne Cup and it wasn't that bad a run," Moroney said.

"He was caught three deep most of the way. I'm not worried about him running the distance even though he hasn't won over it yet.

"My biggest worry with him is that he's done a lot of travelling.

"He's been to South Australia this year for the Adelaide Cup and then he went across for the Sydney Cup and now he's in Queensland."

Glistening finished eighth to Zavite in the Group Two Adelaide Cup (3200m) in March and seventh to Ista Kareem in the Group One Sydney Cup (3200m) on Anzac Day.

"His Sydney Cup run was quite sound and he ran on well late," Moroney said.

"He was a bit disappointing in the Adelaide Cup but he had excuses as he pulled up with heat stress."

Moroney would love to see Glistening win for Katsidis who has ridden for the stable many times.

"It would be great to see Stathi win a feature race in his first day back riding," Moroney said.

"Stathi has ridden a lot for me and won the Doomben Classic and ran second in the Doomben Cup on Galroof a few years ago."