Dermot Weld loses Voleuse De Coeurs to Australia

Irish St Leger winner Voleuse De Coeurs has shot to prominence for the Emirates Melbourne Cup after she was sold to continue her racing career in Australia.

The four-year-old filly will enter quarantine in Newmarket on Thursday under the name of new trainer Mike Moroney, who is based at Flemington.

The identity of her new owners has yet to be disclosed.

Moroney's brother, Paul, finalised the deal for the former Dermot Weld inmate and said he had attempted to buy Voleuse De Coeurs before her six-length victory in the Curragh Classic on September 15th.

“The deal has been done,” he said today. “She is due to be leaving Dermot’s this afternoon with the intention of crossing over to Newmarket to go into quarantine tomorrow.

“The buyer is not wishing to be disclosed at this stage, but she will be transferred to my brother, Mike Moroney, and will be entered into quarantine under Mike’s name.

“I’m rapt we’ve been able to pull the deal off. We’ve been chasing her even before the Irish St Leger but there was a minor hiccup which has now been sorted.”

The daughter of Teofilo had not been in contention for the Melbourne Cup when owned by Lady O’Reilly, with a trip to France for the Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp on October 27th the proposed end-of-season target.

All roads now lead towards the world’s richest handicap, for which she is available at around at the 16-1 mark, at Flemington on November 5th.

Moroney said: “All we are looking at at this stage is the Melbourne Cup — there have been no plans made as yet about running her before then.

“She’s a very good staying mare and still has a good few years left on a racecourse before she becomes a broodmare.”

Weld expressed his disappointment at the departure of Voleuse De Coeurs.

He said: “She’s a very high-class filly and it was a great performance in the Irish St Leger.

“She’s a good stayer with speed. She was a lovely filly to train and we are sad to lose her.”