Moroney pinhooked Prague filly on Guineas path

She’s No Saint added her name to Highline Thoroughbreds’ roll of honour in emphatic fashion at Ruakaka on Saturday, with Cam and Eva Heron’s farm now hoping she can progress to their list of top-flight graduates.

The Michelle Bradley-trained filly romped to victory on her home track in the Group 3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), a performance that has elevated her to joint favouritism for the Group 1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November.

Highline moved to their current Cambridge location in 2019, with the spelling, agistment, foaling down and yearling preparation operation now firmly established, and with She’s No Saint their latest star graduate.

With the expert assistance of Victorian-based New Zealand bloodstock agent Paul Moroney, the daughter of Prague was purchased for A$65,000 at the Inglis Sydney Weanling Sale.

“Paul goes around and makes up a list and then we go through it, Eva’s normally at the sale and she does her list and if anything crosses over, we look at them seriously,” Cam Heron said.

“Paul makes his recommendations and we all liked her, so we did our due diligence with x-rays etc and bought her.

“She was a very athletic filly, she had a nice, big hindquarter and moved well. With a weanling you try and picture what they will look like as a yearling.”

She’s No Saint didn’t set the ring alight second time around due to outside factors, selling to Bradley for $55,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale.

“We’re trying to buy a racehorse first and foremost and not just to make a quick buck, she was a second season Prague filly and he was going okay at the time, but he fell away over the next six months and that happens sometimes,” Heron said.