Jockey Glen Boss believes that there will be no excuses for Melbourne Cup favourite Puissance De Lune if he fails to perform in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington tomorrow.
Glen Boss is confident that Puissance De Lune can record her first win at Group 1 level when he contests the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington tomorrow. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Puissance De Lune has raced well this preparation, running home strongly to finish seventh in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at his last start, but Boss told Racing Ahead that he is confident that the five-year-old will take his performance to another level this weekend.
“I am really looking forward to tomorrow I think it is going to be the first time this preparation where I am going to say today is the day you are going to standup and show what you are made off,” Boss said.
“The first six around the bend were always going to be the first six that were home in the Underwood.
“Not only was he making up very good ground, he was covering ground while doing that.
“Getting to Flemington where he should be unbeaten and getting him closer to his proper distance there will be no excuses tomorrow.
“His next three runs will be where he is peaking.”
Boss has maintained throughout this campaign that Puissance De Lune was good enough to win both the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) and Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) and he said he has never questioned his confidence in the horses’ ability.
“My confidence in this horse has never wavered,” Boss said.
“There are people that have been saying this and that about the horse but I tell everybody it is like Ocean Park going into the Cox Plate last year.
“Everybody wanted to pot the horse but he was undefeated in Group 1s.
“He is flying and his next three runs will be his best.”
Trainer Darren Weir admitted, earlier this week, that he would like to see Puissance De Lune ridden forward in the Turnbull Stakes this weekend but Boss indicated that he won’t make any decisions until the barriers open on Saturday afternoon.
“It really depends on how the race is run,” Boss said.
“His last start was ridiculously slow but our mind was made up about what we were going to do.
“I’ll just assess it in the first 100 metres and ride the race from there.
“He is very versatile; he can really reel off a good sectional from the back or he could lead a race if I actually wanted him too.
“He is a proper weight-for-age horse so I will be able to do whatever I want.”
Boss is chasing his first ever victory in the Turnbull Stakes after missing the ride on regular mount Makybe Diva in the 2005 edition of the race.
