Millionaire owner Lloyd Williams could have a quarter of the field for the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 26.
Sea Moon could one of four runners for Lloyd Williams in the Cox Plate. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Williams will only have one runner in Saturday’s Group 1 $2.65m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield, Fawkner, but could have up to four of the fourteen runners in the weight for age championship of Australasia at Moonee Valley.
European imports Green Moon, Sea Moon, Masked Marvel and Seville all will get their chance to line up in the Cox Plate.
“I think they are better suited to run at Moonee Valley with the set weights,” Williams told Racing Network.
“I’ve been saying all the way along that I would be running Green Moon, Masked Marvel and Seville in the Cox Plate and I’ve now just added Sea Moon.”
While Sea Moon, Seville and Masked Marvel have hit form at the right time, last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon is yet to shine from two starts in the Spring.
Green Moon’s Spring preparation was also interrupted when trainer Robert Hickmott and Williams were forced to scratch the seven year old from the last weekends Group 1 $400,000 Cathay Pacific Caulfield Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield because of a high temperature.
“He had an elevated temperature for a day, but he was right the next day,” Williams said.
“There’s no point running them when they’re like that, you don’t know where it might lead to. It is better to err on the side of caution.”
Williams classy import Sea Moon finally lived up to expectations with a solid win in the Group 2 $220,000 Sportingbet Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield last Saturday and even if the 2040m of the Cox Plate is too short for the six year old, it will give Williams a good pointer heading towards the Group 1 $6.2m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 5.
Seville has also hit winning form with a win in the Group 1 $400,000 McGrath Estate Agents Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on October 5, aided by a first class ride by Hugh Bowman.
While Masked Marvel will be making a massive step up in class after being placed at his last two starts at Group 2 and Group 3 level.
Two starts back the Montjeu stallion finished third to Moriarty in the Group 2 $200,000 Bacardi Hill Stakes (2000m) at Randwick then was narrowly beaten when second to Honorius in the Group 3 $125,000 APN Outdoor Craven Plate (2000m) at Randwick.
Masked Marvel’s best form in England was over more ground and included a win at Group 1 level in the 2011 £550,000 Ladbrokes St Leger Stakes (1 mile, 6 furlong, 132 yards) at Doncaster, with Sea Moon and Seville finishing in the third and fourth spots.
Green Moon is the best placed of Williams’ runners in the Cox Plate market order at $21 with Sea Moon at $41, Seville at $51 and Masked Marvel at $61.
The Mark Kavanagh trained Atlantic Jewel heads the betting and is a short priced favourite at $2.30 ahead of Fiorente at $5 and It’s A Dundeel at $6.
