Coeur Volante set for return in Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes

The Mike Moroney and Glen Thompson stable has exercised patience with their highly promising mare, Coeur Volante, who is set to launch her next campaign this weekend.

Coeur Volante is among 22 entries for the Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

The lightly raced four-year-old daughter of Proisir hasn’t been seen in competition since her sixth-place finish in the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes (1300m) at Eagle Farm in June.

Thompson explained that the mare was given an extended break in Queensland following her Brisbane spell, resulting in her missing the Spring carnivals in both Melbourne and Sydney.

Coeur Volante has had two jump-outs in preparation for her return, with her latest effort being an 800m trial at Werribee on January 17.

“She’s in good shape and has jumped out well at Flemington and Werribee,” Thompson said. “We took her to Brisbane, but she didn’t thrive in the Spring, so we decided to give her a proper break to recover and mature.”

Thompson added, “She spent about 12 weeks up there. She’s not a big mare, but she’s held her condition nicely, and we’re optimistic that the time off will pay dividends.”

Coeur Volante showed early promise as a two-year-old and solidified her talent with an eye-catching first-up win in the Champagne Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in September 2023. This victory was quickly followed by a triumph in the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield.

Her win at Caulfield even prompted Moroney to rank her among the best horses he has trained in his accomplished career.

After the Prelude, Coeur Volante entered the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) as one of the leading contenders, ultimately finishing fourth behind Joliestar.

“Since that Thousand Guineas campaign, she’s dealt with a few minor setbacks—nothing major—but enough to hold her back a bit,” Thompson explained.

Saturday’s race will serve as an indicator for Coeur Volante’s future plans. The long-term goal is to target Sydney’s prestigious Group 1 mares’ races.

“The Coolmore Classic has been mentioned as a potential target, but we’ll take it one race at a time,” Thompson said. “She needs to prove herself again and win something before we aim for a race like that.”

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