Williams Delighted With Six Melbourne Cup Runners

The Macedon Lodge team is set to have six 2013 Melbourne Cup runners and co-owner Nick Williams is happy with the progress of all his charges heading into the $6 million event at Flemington next Tuesday.

Nick Williams rates Fawkner and Seville his two best chances in the 2013 Melbourne Cup.

Nick Williams rates Fawkner and Seville his two best chances in the 2013 Melbourne Cup. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Green Moon, Sea Moon, Mourayan, Seville, Masked Marvel and Fawkner are all guaranteed to earn a start in the 2013 Melbourne Cup and Williams told Sky Racing HQ that his team is doing everything possible to keep all six fit and sound in the lead-up to the race.

Macedon Lodge team has had an amazing run in the last twelve months, winning the 2012 Melbourne Cup, 2013 Sydney Cup and 2013 Caulfield Cup, and Williams said that they have been very blessed but is hopeful that the stellar run will continue next Tuesday.

“We are very fortunate that the horses have come together at this point and we are hoping that we can get them through the next seven days so they can take their place at Flemington,” Williams said.

“We try to have runners in all the major staying races around Australia and we are having an incredibly lucky patch where we are lucky to have seven trophies on the mantel piece.”

Macedon Lodge was unable to add the Cox Plate trophy to their collection, with Seville, Green Moon and Masked Marvel, never factoring in the finish but Williams said that all three came out of the race in good condition and will improve when they are given their opportunity over 3200 metres in the 2013 Melbourne Cup.

“He has come through his Cox Plate run which was a little bit disappointing,” Williams said of Masked Marvel.

“Once you get him out to two miles I think that you will see a different horse.

“Green Moon has a lot of weight to carry and his run in the Cox Plate was even in a race that wasn’t run to suit him.

“Seville is in perfect order and he is probably the horse of ours that ticked all the boxes along the way.”

Williams said that he is still deciding on the final lead-up runs for his team this Saturday; with Mourayan, Fawkner and Sea Moon all included in the nominations for the Victoria Derby race card at Flemington on Saturday.

He confirmed that Sydney Cup winner Mourayan has been scratched from Wednesday’s Listed Bendigo Cup (2400m) but remains a chance to contest the Group 3 Lexus Stakes (2500m) this weekend.

“We are actually still tossing up and we might run him on Saturday in the Lexus,” Williams said.

“I am not confirming that but it is probably a better option for him than running at Bendigo with 61.5kg.”

Sea Moon has also been included in the nominations for the Lexus Stakes but Williams will confirm whether the Beat Hollow entire will take his place in the field until final acceptances are released on Wednesday.

The highly-rated import will be one of the top-weights in the 2013 Melbourne Cup, whether he runs on Saturday or not, and Williams is confident that the 2012 Hardwicke Stakes winner can find the improvement that he needs to win ‘the race that stops a nation.’

“He won the Herbert Power at his last start and he was the first past the post in The Bart Cummings but lost it on protest obviously,” Williams said.

“He needs to find a few more rating points to be in there with 56.5kg but we are confident that he will.”

Fawkner will become the first horse since Ethereal in 2001 to complete the Caulfield Cup/ Melbourne Cup if he is successful on Tuesday and Williams currently rates Fawkner as his best chance in the race.

“He is in great order and has been ticking over since the Caulfield Cup,” Williams said.

“We couldn’t be happier and Fawkner would rate at the top of our list.”

A number of Williams’ runners have firmed in Melbourne Cup betting; with Sea Moon ($13) and Seville ($14) both in the first seven in betting, while Fawkner is alongside Dunaden and Dear Demi at odds of $34.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.