The Tony Noonan trained Midnight Mustang will be floated to Perth for a raid on the G3 Roma Cup and G3 Belmont Sprint, following his determined win in the $126,000 Listed Henry Bucks Straight Six (1200m) at Flemington last Saturday.

Positioned just off the leaders during the early and middle stages of the race, Midnight Mustang (5g Val Royal-Midnight Dance by Keltrice) cleared away from the rest of the field with Gran Sasso and the two staged a battle inside the final 200m with the former prevailing by a half head.  The win completed a state to state double for the stable, who had earlier saddled up Ortensia to win a black type event in Brisbane.

Formerly trained by Luke Oliver at Caulfield, Midnight Mustang has only been with the Noonan stable for a brief period and stable foreman Wez Hunter admitted they were still working out the gelding.  ” He has a big bag of tricks,” Hunter said.  “He hangs in badly, but apart from that we couldn’t be happier with him. I think he’s definitely set for bigger and better things.

“The owners are very keen to head across to Western Australia with him so that’s where he will head next.”

Midnight Mustang has won just shy of $150,000 from 17 starts, not bad for a horse that cost $40,000 at the 2005 Adelaide Magic Millions.

He is by former Eliza Park shuttler Val Royal and is the first stakes winner for the lightly raced city winning mare Midnight Dance, who descends from the same family as Stoneyfell Road, the stakes winning dam of four time G1 winner Princess Coup (Encosta de Lago).

Midnight Dance has a yearling colt by former Nureyev shuttler King Charlemagne and a weanling colt by Happy Giggle (Rory’s Jester). She was not served last year.