Perth trainer Adam Durant is confident that Mr Moet will be a factor in the finish of the 2013 Caulfield Cup (2400m) but believes the six-year-old will need a bit of luck to win the $2.5 million Group 1 event at Caulfield on Saturday.
Leading jockey Hugh Bowman will ride Mr Moet in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup on Saturday. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Durant told Racing Ahead that he could not have Mr Moet in any better condition heading into the Caulfield Cup and believes that the Railway Stakes winner will be in the first five or six at the finish.
“He is doing everything right and I don’t think I have ever had him any better in his career,” Durant said.
“Obviously it is a tough assignment and it’s a great field.
“It’s a very even bunch, barring maybe one or two, and it’s always tough to win these races but I’m excited to be a part of it.
“He isn’t going around to make up numbers, he will be in the first five or six at the finish, but luck will play a big part in it.”
Mr Moet has performed well since returning to the races with a ninth place finish in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 7 but is still chasing his first win since his victory in the 2012 Group 2 Cox Stakes (2400m) in Perth.
The Mosayter gelding had no luck in either the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield or the Group 3 JRA Cup (2040m) at Moonee Valley and Durant is hopeful that will change on Saturday.
“He hasn’t had things go his way as of yet and he is not a horse that is going to dominant these races so he needs things to go his way,” Durant said.
“The other night the horses were making ground but the rain came when they were in the mounting yard and it bucketed down.
“He had the 59kg and everybody else had 54kg so he was giving away five kilos and he was still closing late.
“It is just a question of whatever gets luck on the day and that is going to play a big part.”
Mr Moet will be ridden by Hugh Bowman for the first time in the Caulfield Cup after Damien Oliver, who rode the star Perth galloper in both the Underwood Stakes and JRA Cup, elected to ride European import Jet Away.
“Damien was booked to ride Jet Away three weeks ago and that left us out of there,” Durant said.
“It looked for a while that Jet Away wasn’t going to get a run, before the Williams team pulled a few out, and I was going to hold out because Damien was going to ride him if Jet Away was an emergency but it was getting too close and when you get offered a rider of Hugh’s capacity you grab it with both hands.
“I’m wrapped to have him on board.”
Mr Moet will be the first Western Australian-trained horse to win the Caulfield Cup since Northerly in 2002 if he is successful on Saturday.
