The Group 1 $400,000 Cathay Pacific Caulfield Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield tomorrow has been reduced to five runners with the scratching of Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon.
Green Moon will miss the Caulfield Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Racing Victoria stewards were informed by the Robert Hickmott stable that Green Moon had an elevated temperature and would be unable to take his place in the weight for age feature, leaving only four runners to take on the super mare Atlantic Jewel.
“Green Moon will not be running due to an elevated temperature,” Racing Victoria Stewards tweeted.
The Robert Hickmott trained Green Moon had already been ruled out of the Group 1 $2.65m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield next week with his next racetrack appearance now uncertain.
The lost of Green Moon has seen the price of Atlantic Jewel firm to $1.28 with the nearest to the glamour mare in the betting is stable mate Super Cool at $5.50.
The Chris Waller trained Foreteller is marked at $8 while the other two runners, Spacecraft ($71) and Massiyn ($81) are at huge odds.
Trainer Mark Kavanagh is confident that Atlantic Jewel will regain her weight for age crown tomorrow after having her colours lowered for first time from ten starts when nabbed on the line by Kiwi star It’s A Dundeel in the Group 1 $400,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on September 21.
“I am heading to the races tomorrow confident the real Atlantic Jewel will stand up for the public and return to the winner’s list,” Kavanagh said in his Herald Sun column today.
Kavanagh is also hoping for a better result from his Australian Cup winner Super Cool who has missed a place at his last two starts.
Last week at Flemington Super Cool was held for a run in the straight when ninth to Happy Trails in the Group 1 $500,000 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington, but he won’t have that problem this week.
“Super Cool is running tomorrow so he can have a good hit out. Maybe I’ve been making excuses for him but there’ll be no question marks after tomorrow,” Kavanagh said.
“He settled much further back than I wanted in the Turnbull Stakes and he didn’t get any galloping room.”
While leading trainer Chris Waller can’t fault Foreteller saying that it would be very hard to beat Atlantic Jewel in the Caulfield Stakes.
“He is all in order for tomorrow,” Waller said.
“Obviously he is racing against a very, very good horse and we, like all the other entrants against Atlantic Jewel, are just hoping for the best.”
