Green Moon Ruled Out Of The Caulfield Cup

Lloyd Williams has confirmed that 2012 Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon will not run in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) next Saturday.

Green Moon will contest the Cox Plate rather than the Caulfield Cup.

Green Moon will contest the Cox Plate rather than the Caulfield Cup. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Green Moon was included in the third acceptances for the Caulfield Cup that were released by Racing Victoria earlier this week but the Williams Team informed Racing Victoria stewards this afternoon that the son of Montjeu will contest the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) this Saturday and the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 26 rather than the Caulfield Cup.

Green Moon was the top weight for the 2013 edition of the Caulfield Cup and his withdrawal means that all the weights for the race will be raised 1.5kgs – good news for leading jockey Nash Rawiller who will now be able to ride Royal Descent in the Group 1 event.

Leading trainer Chris Waller was expecting the weights for the Caulfield Cup to be raised and confirmed yesterday that Rawiller would pick up the ride on the 2013 Australian Oaks winner.

“He will have the ride on the basis that the weights will be raised and also on the fact that Nash has committed to ride below his regular riding weight,” Waller told Fairfax yesterday.

The withdrawal of Green Moon comes as no surprise as the Williams-owned Macedon Lodge team has elected not to run their leading stayers in the Caulfield Cup in recent years.

Green Moon finished second behind Southern Speed in the 2011 edition of the race but last year was set for the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) rather than the handicap event; finishing seventh before going on to win the Melbourne Cup (3200m) just over a week later.

Macedon Lodge will still have a least one runner in the Caulfield Cup; with the stable confirming that the Fawkner will make his debut over 2400 metres in the race.

Fawkner loomed as the winner in the final stages of the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) last Saturday, peaking on his run with fifty metres left in the race, and did enough to convince connections that he is good enough to win the Caulfield Cup.

Other Williams-owned stayers Masked Marvel and Tanby are also a chance to contest the Caulfield Cup, while Seville will go to the Cox Plate and Mourayan to the Moonee Valley Cup (2500m).

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.