Western Australian-trained Mr Moet will have an excellent opportunity to record his first race win outside his home state when he carries the top weight of 59kg in the Group 3 JRA Cup (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
Mr Moet finished eighth behind It's A Dundeel in the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Mr Moet has raced exclusively at Group 1 level during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival but will drop back to a Group 3 event for the first time in over twelve months after finishing ninth in the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) and eight in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield last Saturday.
Trainer Adam Durrant told Racing Ahead that it was hard to take anything out of the six-year-olds Underwood Stakes performance, with the race run at a very slow pace, but believes there were a few positives looking ahead to the longer staying races later in the spring.
“His last 200 meters was his best sectional of the race,” Durrant said.
“He probably lacks that real turn of foot that some of the weight-for-age horses have got but in saying that it was basically a walk, trot and canter and when you are finishing next to all the Melbourne Cup hopefuls you have to be looking at the positives.”
Mr Moet will have had a break of just six days when he contests the JRA Cup on Friday but Durrant is confident the quick back-up will not be a problem for the son of Mosayter and is confident the Railway Stakes winner can record his first victory since his Cox Stakes triumph last December.
“It is certainly a drop in grade for him and it fits in quiet well with his program,” Durrant said
“His record backing up is fantastic – I ran him five times in a month and he won four of them.
“One of the races was Melbourne Cup day and he backed up from the Saturday and won.
“He is one of those types of horses that is more a tradesman than brilliant but when a few of them fall by the wayside when the pressure is on deeper in the spring I think that is where you will see the real genuine stayers pop up and start finishing off.”
Durrant is yet to decide on the ultimate spring path for Mr Moet but the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) and Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) are both on the agenda before the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).
The Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) will be his major target and Durrant expects the tough gelding to continue to improve as he gets more races and longer distances under his belt.
“I think that run tucked him up nicely the other day and I really think he is on the edge of really hitting his straps,” the Lark Hill-based trainer said.
“Hopefully these staying races are run at a more genuine tempo and I think you will see a huge turnaround in the form of some of these horses.”
