Moroney moved from Adelaide to Melbourne in 1990 and steadily built up a powerful team that has reaped many rewards, including Group 1 wins that stretch from the Newmarket Handicap, one of the world’s most revered sprint races, right through to success in the Melbourne Cup.
The trainer has bases in New Zealand and Australia, and managed to navigate both successfully during the pandemic. His assistant trainer, Glen Thompson, appointed in 2021, has also been a great asset to the Ballymore team.
Moroney praises his staff for their dedication and passion.
“Take Tyler for instance, he rides work and then heads off to work as a nurse during the day. Emma, I could see from the very first time she walked into my operation that she ticked all the boxes – bright, patient and wonderful skills with the horse.
And when you have staff like my assistant trainer Glenn being able to manage their chores easily, it takes pressure off the top end of the business,” Moroney said.
Jamie Mott is another who experienced the Moroney success on TAB Champions Stakes Day after he picked up the ride on Roch ‘N’ Horse after regular jockey Patrick Moloney was suspended for his ride in the Lexus Melbourne Cup on Emissary.
It was a sensational day to win a Group 1 race in front of a huge crowd on a sprinter that never stopped trying. Roch ‘N’ Horse’s success propelled the mare into the upper echelon of sprinters around the world following that victory over Nature Strip.
Moroney says of Jamie Mott that it’s the “quirky way” of the racing industry that Jamie was in the right place at the right time to ride Roch ‘N’ Horse.
Now for the Ballymore team, going one better in next year’s Lexus Melbourne Cup and achieving back-to-back Newmarket successes is well and truly on the cards.