The smart Mike Moroney trained Rhythm to Spare (Pins) returned from a spell to score a comprehensive victory in the A$35,000 Championpicks.com.au Handicap over 1400m at Sandown yesterday.

Bred by Peter Vela’s Pencarrow Stud, Rhythm to Spare was having his first run back since running fourth in the Group 1 Queensland Derby last season.

The four-year-old by Pins was ridden by leading jockey Glen Boss who settled the horse worse of midfield with Rhythm to Spare overcoming his rivals in the home straight to land victory by a nose.

While the margin was short, Boss always looked to have the race in safe keeping on Rhythm to Spare and it is credit to the second placegetter, Lord Durante, who had to battle hard to keep the race close.

The lightly raced Rhythm to Spare was coming off a promising three-year-old campaign last season that saw him record two wins in Victoria before heading to Brisbane to run second in the Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes along with his fourth placing in the Group 1 Queensland Derby.

“He is a lovely horse that has taken a little bit of time to mature,” said Moroney.

“We started off with him in New Zealand and he came over here where he did a great job to run second in a Group 3 in Queensland (Grand Prix Stakes) over the Carnival and he should just get better and better.”

Held in high regard by his trainer, Rhythm to Spare holds nominations for both the Group 1 Cox Plate and Group 1 Caulfield Cup this spring.

“At this stage he looks to be up to stakes class. He is still a little bit immature and we feel he will be a better chance in the autumn rather than the spring but saying that we haven’t thrown away the idea of the spring,” commented Moroney.

Rhythm to Spare started his career in New Zealand, running two second placings before being transferred to Moroney’s Melbourne stable. His overall record stands at seven starts for three wins and three second placings, earning A$103,989 to date.

The gelding is out of the Pencarrow bred mare Stanica (Zabeel), a Group 1 placegetter of the Avondale Gold Cup in Pencarrow colours. She was a four-time winner on the track and has had one other foal to race, Stanica Star, also a winner of four races. She has a two-year-old full-brother to Rhythm to Spare that has been retained to race by the Stud.

Stanica is out of the imported Sunday Silence mare Love Connection, a daughter of multiple American stakes winner Pleasureconnection (Danzig Connection), and is closely related to seven-time American Group 1 winner Game on Dude (Awesome Again).

Mike Moroney’s bloodstock agent brother Paul purchased the horse as a yearling for $100,000 at the 2011 Karaka Premier Sale from the daft of Pencarrow Stud and is now owned by R & C Legh Racing Pty Ltd, G G Ltd, Mr J A O'Neill, Carty Racing, Mr A Dunne, Mr M Pejic, Mrs J Pejic, Mr G Devonport, Ms J A N Lee, Mr M G Dominello, Mrs E Dominello, Mr R S Scheriani, Mrs A Scheriani and Mr B Nettlefold.