Trainer Mike Moroney will have two runners in the Pakenham Cup after perfect blood results indicated they were right to go.
Sound and Milford, the two topweights in Saturday’s 2500m Listed race, had been 50-50 earlier in the week of taking their place.
Both horses ran at Caulfield last week with Milford winning the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes (1800m) while Sound finished fifth in the Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m).
“We decided we’d nominate and as long as we were happy with them, we were going to run,” Moroney told RSN.
“We’re through the decision making, and the decision is they’ll both take their place.
“Their bloods are perfect.”
Moroney wants to get another look at Milford at a longer trip which may determine the future path for the gelding.
Milford is yet to win beyond 2100m but did run second in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) as a three-year-old.
His only other 2400m run was when 13th in the Group 1 Australian Derby at Randwick.
“Our theory behind Milford was we tossed and turned about him,” Moroney said.
“He’s had that one placing in a New Zealand Derby and other than that his other mile-and-a-half races have been inconclusive.
“We thought we’d give him a try now while he’s up and fit and work out what we’re going to do with him in the autumn, winter or next spring.”
Sound was aiming for a third successive win in the Zipping Classic and as a 10-year-old, Moroney said his racing days are drawing to a end.
“He might as well run now for this sort of money ($300,000) as we get closer to making a decision about his racing future,” Moroney said.
“He’s getting to the stage now of whether he is up to Sydney in the autumn, the Tancred Stakes, or something like that now at his age.”
Milford sits on the second line of betting with TAB at $5 behind Kissinger ($4.80) while Sound is a $14 chance.
