Coeur Volante (NZ) Dominates Mannerism Stakes

Classy Karaka graduate Coeur Volante (NZ) (Proisir) returned to winning form in spectacular style with a four-length demolition in Saturday’s A$200,000 Group Three Catanach’s Jewellers Mannerism Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

The daughter of Proisir was a $90,000 purchase by Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Ballymore Stables from Book 1 of Karaka 2022. She has now won four of her nine starts and A$545,540 in stakes.

Coeur Volante showed real X-factor as a spring three-year-old last season, winning three of her first four starts including the Group Two Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) and Group Three Scarborough Stakes (1200m). She then finished fourth in the Group One Thousand Guineas (1600m).

That Thousand Guineas effort was her best result in four races between November of 2023 and the beginning of this month, but Saturday marked the return of the real Coeur Volante.

After trailing the front-running Grinzinger Belle (NZ) (Shamexpress) up to the home turn, Coeur Volante changed gears and dashed clear in the straight, opening up a commanding lead. She swept to victory by four lengths in the hands of Blake Shinn, clocking 1:22.87 for 1400 metres.

“She’s a very classy filly and it's just been a matter of getting the gear right,” co-trainer Mike Moroney said. “We had her in the Tatts Tiara (Group One, 1400m) last winter and I had the blinkers on her that day, and then we scratched because we weren't happy with her and saved her for now.

“She had a nice long break up there in Queensland and it's going to pay off. Her whole demeanour is starting to change now she's accepting racing. She went through a bit of a funny stage when she went off the boil, but I think she's back now.

“We’ll probably go up to Sydney with her now for the Coolmore Classic (Group One, 1500m). We think she's Group One class and she ran a good race here in the Thousand Guineas, probably on pretty tired legs, so I’m pretty sure that she’ll handle 1500 metres no problems.”