Western Australian star Mr Moet was included in the 2013 Melbourne Cup second acceptances yesterday but trainer Adam Durant has confirmed that the Group 1 winner is extremely unlikely to contest the race and will be freshened up for the Railway Stakes (1600m) in Perth on November 23.
Mr Moet will run in the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington on Saturday before returning to Perth for the Railway Stakes. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Mr Moet battled home bravely to finish sixth in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) but Durant believes the Mosayter gelding is just below the class required to win a major Group 1 race in Melbourne and is worried that running the six-year-old in the 2013 Melbourne Cup would rule him out of the Perth Summer Racing Carnival.
“We still paid up yesterday, so we haven’t completely ruled it out, so we will just see what happens on Saturday but you have to be realistic and he had his chance on Saturday in the Caulfield Cup,” Durant said.
“The 3200m is basically going to cook him for the rest of the preparation and if we stick to the 2000m and head home we have the $1 million Railway Stakes, the Kingston Town and the Cox Stakes.
“Unless something comes from Melbourne that has been going around in these races, there is nothing in Perth that is going to trouble him.”
Mr Moet will have one last chance to record a victory in Melbourne this weekend when he takes on a strong field, including Caulfield Cup winner Fawkner who will be pressing on to the Melbourne Cup, in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
Durant said that the Mr Moet had recovered well from his on-pace effort in the Caulfield Cup but will be looking for the 2012 Railways Stakes winner to be ridden a little bit quieter in the Mackinnon Stakes; with one eye already on the riches available back home in Perth.
“He is Mr. Consistency this horse, he pulls up and eats up well and does everything right, which makes my job easy,” Durant said.
“There are no issues with him, he has come through it really well, and I am confident that the same horse will turn up on Saturday.
“It has turned out to be a pretty hot bunch that have lined up at this stage and he will have to be right at his peak.
“We are looking at heading back for the Railway Stakes in three weeks so we will be looking to find a happy medium between his previous runs and the Caulfield Cup.
“Hopefully we can flow into the race and he can be finishing off like his normal pattern is rather than having a hard one – keeping in mind that we have to freshen him up for the mile in three weeks.”
Mr Moet will be one of a number of horses backing up from the Caulfield Cup in the Mackinnon Stakes; with Caulfield Cup winner Fawkner, Jet Away, Dear Demi, Moriarty, Mr O’Ceirin and Silent Achiever all a chance to back up in the $1 million event this weekend after being included in the nominations.
