Racing Victoria stewards’ announced this morning that classy imported stayer Sea Moon has suffered no serious injury from his mishap at the start of the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday and has been passed fit to continue his 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign.
Sea Moon will have his next race start in either the Turnbull Stakes or JRA Cup. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Sea Moon was extremely well backed ahead of his Australian racing debut in the Makybe Diva Stakes last weekend but his chances in the races were squashed before they even began when he sprawled jumping out of the barriers and lost his footing on all four legs.
The mishap cost the Beat Hollow entire significant ground and he could only battle onin the final stages of the race to finish 12th,more than five lengths behind the winner Foreteller.
It was feared that the spring campaign of the highly-rated stayer was over but the five-year-old pulled up well from a track gallop this morning and will have his next spring start in either the Group 3 JRA Cup (2040m) at Moonee Valley on September 27 or the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 5.
The Turnbull Stakes seems the more likely option for Sea Moon as the race has been used by the Macedon Lodge team of Lloyd Williams on a number of occasions in recent years as a key lead-up race for both the Cox Plate (2040m) and the Melbourne Cup (3200m).
The Williams team has had a runner in the Turnbull Stakes every year since Zipping finished fifth behind Devil Moon in the 2007 edition of the race and they won the race with Efficient in 2009 and Zipping in 2010 before quinellaing the event with Green Moon and Seville last year.
Sea Moon is chasing his first Group 1 victory after winning the 2011 Great Voltigeur Stakes (2414m) and Hardwicke Stakes (2414m) in the United Kingdom.
