‘We back Mike’: Owner’s vow to support Cup-winning trainer

Leading owner Rupert Legh has vowed to continue his strong support of Mike Moroney’s Flemington stable while the Melbourne Cup-winning trainer remains in hospital undergoing treatment for lung and breathing issues.

Moroney’s Ballymore Stable operations released a statement on Thursday saying he had been hospitalised last weekend and would be “receiving treatment over the next few weeks”.

Trainer Mike Moroney has been hospitalised with lung and breathing issues.

Moroney, who won the 2000 Melbourne Cup with Brew, had not been seen at the racetrack nor his Ballymore Stables, based at Flemington, for more than a week because of ill health.

“We expect a positive prognosis, however, to have the best chance of recovery, Michael will understandably be away from training for a few weeks,” the stable statement said.

Former Melbourne Cup winning horse Brew takes part in the Melbourne Cup parade in 2022.

“Both of our stables in Australia and New Zealand will remain fully operational with long-term racing manager Anthony Feroce and assistant trainer Glen Thompson leading the stable in Flemington, while in New Zealand, Pam Gerard, will continue to manage our Matamata base.”

When contacted by this masthead, a stable representative declined to go into further details about the illness.

“When someone is down like Mike, that’s when you rally, that’s when you back someone,” Legh said.

“It’s like the old saying – a friend in need, is a friend indeed.”

Legh has had horses with Moroney for 24 years, including recent group 1 placegetter Buffalo River and 2022 Melbourne Cup runner-up Emissary.

“What Mike has been able to do, he’s a very good trainer and he’s been able to bring in very good people around him, so if he’s off ill or away, the machine does not stop. It’s well oiled and will keep going with the same professionalism,” Legh said.

Legh said only immediate family – Moroney’s partner, daughter and brother – were visiting Moroney in hospital at this time.

Ballymore Stables sent a letter to owners on Wednesday night, saying that it would be “business as usual” while Moroney was being treated.

“We thank you for your understanding and continued support and look forward to having Michael back at the helm soon,” the statement said.

Moroney has two horses engaged at this Saturday’s major Victorian meeting at Bendigo – War Machine and Caesar – as well as runners at Geelong on Friday.

The former Kiwi trainer came to Australian in 1999, first setting up at Morphettville in Adelaide before moving to Flemington two and a half years later.

He said his life was changed forever when his stayer Brew won the 2000 Melbourne Cup, wearing No.24 and jumping from barrier 24.

“When you go overseas, or no matter where you go, you’re known as winning a Melbourne Cup. That’s the sort of race it is,” Moroney told this masthead last year.

“Our grandparents bred one, and so from the time we were old enough to talk and walk, we were brought up on the Melbourne Cup, on Hi Jinx’s win in 1960.”

Moroney once revealed he had an eerie premonition before the 2000 race.

“A few years earlier I’d dreamed that I trained the Melbourne Cup winner – and I dreamed it was Brew,” he told the VRC website.

“I remember telling my wife that I’d dreamed that I won by two lengths with Brew who was No.24. My wife said, ‘Who is Brew?’

“My dream didn’t make sense then though because at the time Brew was a three-year-old in work with Paul O’Sullivan, a trainer in Sydney.”

Moroney has also won the VRC Derby twice, and the Blue Diamond with True Jewels in 2001.

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