Next year’s Melbourne Cup favourite Puissance De Lune will have a limited Autumn campaign in preparation for his main goal on the first Tuesday in November.

Puissance De Lune

Puissance De Lune will have a limited Autumn in preparation for the Melbourne Cup. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

The Darren Weir trained Puissance De Lune was immediately installed the favourite for the 2013 Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 5 after a runaway win in the Group 3 $250,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

“He had a week with us in the stable then spent four weeks at Gerry’s farm and he’s ready to come back now,” Weir said.

“We’re picking him up on Friday and he’ll go back into work on Monday.”

“He’ll have a light autumn. Obviously our long-tern goal is the Melbourne Cup and I just want to get him there the best way possible.”

Weir and owner Gerry Ryan will map out a final Autumn program after the five year old runs in the Group 2 $220,000 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on March 9 focused on giving them plenty of time to get Puissance De Lune ready for a Melbourne Cup campaign in the Spring.

“The Blamey will tell us where he’s at – I’ll work out where we go after that,” Weir said..

“A race like the Easter Cup might be ideal, but I don’t think we’ll go to the Australian Cup and I don’t think we’ll go to Sydney for the carnival there either.”

“It’s all about having him ready for the Melbourne Cup – that’s our aim.”

The former French galloper was brought to Australia by Ryan and after winning his way through the classes, hit the headlines with an eight length victory in the Listed $250,000 Jayco Bendigo Cup (2400m) at Bendigo on October 31 with jockey Glen Boss only having to steer the grey over the final 300m with nothing giving challenge.

The five year old then repeated that dominant performance at Flemington with Boss again standing high in the irons a long way before the winning post in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Boss was that ecstatic with the win that he was virtually speechless but did declare that Puissance De Lune would be hard to beat in the next year’s Melbourne Cup if he continued to put in performances like that.

In very early 2013 Melbourne Cup markets, Puissance De Lune is the $7.50 favourite ahead of this year’s runner up Fiorente and the unlucky Mount Athos at $17 with this year’s winner Green Moon at $21 with Carlton House, My Quest For Peace and Michelangelo.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.