Melbourne Cup winning jockey Brett Prebble expects Green Moon to shine early in the Spring Carnival following another impressive exhibition gallop at Caulfield on Saturday.
2012 Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon and Brett Prebble in an exhibition gallop at Caulfield. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Prebble and Green Moon saluted in last year’s Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington and after riding the import in two important gallops wouldn’t be surprised if he had early success in this campaign.
“It wouldn’t surprise me to see him performing well over a mile or 2000 which we’ve seen before he can do,” Prebble told AAP after Green Moon’s Caulfield hit out on Saturday.
“He pulls up and he’s quite clean in the wind, so he’s not far off his target.”
Green Moon once again galloped with stablemates Thought Worthy and Seville and was a clear winner at the end of the gallop after Thought Worthy set a strong pace from the 800m.
He (Thought Worthy) had us both (Seville and Green Moon) off the bridle before the home turn and then I just waved the whip at him and he just put them away very quickly,” Prebble said.
“It was a very good turn of foot and on the line he was enjoying his work. He’s come back a really fit horse and a healthy horse.”
Prebble, who will return to his riding base in Hong Kong after the Spring Carnival, said that Green Moon feels a much more relaxed horse now than in the Autumn when he finished fourth on two occasions in the Group 1 $500,000 Cathay Pacific Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield and then in the Group 1 $1m Darley Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington.
“In autumn he was quite naughty and was doing a bit wrong. He was really bully,” Prebble said.
“He seems to be a much happier horse now and he’s programmed better so from that point of view I do like to see that for a horse.
“At the moment, after his last two gallops if you were a trainer or jockey you would be walking away from the track pretty happy.”
Green Moon is nearing a return to the racetrack and trainer Robert Hickmott has the Group 1 $350,000 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 31 as an option as is the Group 1 $350,000 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington the following week.
Green Moon is currently a $21 chance for both the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 26 and the Group 1 $2.65m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 19.
And the Lloyd Williams owned import is a $31 chance to win back to back Melbourne Cups.
