A Perth Cup start in doubt for Mr Moet

A Perth Cup start for Mr Moet is in jeopardy after the five year old caused an upset win in the Group 1 $1m Carlton Draught-Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot last Saturday.

Leading Perth trainer Adam Durrant had originally set Mr Moet for the Group 2 $500,000 Golden River Developments Perth Cup (2400m) at Ascot on New Year’s Day but now fears the Group 1 winner will be weighted out of the Western Australia’s greatest staying test.

“The plan was to start here first up and go to the Perth Cup, but he is now weighted out of it,” Durrant said.

Durrant was able to prepare Mr Moet for a first up win at Group 1 level and the stable led a sensational petting plunge which saw the five year old’s price tumble from $100 earlier in the week to start at $20 and hold off the local hero and favourite Luckygray in the run to the line.

“It was a great effort by the horse and jockey,” Durrant said.

“He was obviously heading towards the longer races, but he was going really well

“He was ready for this race and everything fell into place.”

Jockey Daniel Staeck gave Mr Moet a beautiful run during the race and was able to deny Luckygray back to back Railway Stakes wins after the grey got bogged down with his 58kg over the final stages.

Mr Moet took his earnings to just over a $1m with Saturday’s victory and took his winning run to four straight after securing three in a row at Belmont during the winter before a break.

The Mosayter gelding showed his potential to Durrant in winning the Group 3 $125,000 Strickland Stakes (2000m) at Belmont on July 7 and was then put away to prepare for the Perth Summer Carnival.

Mr Moet’s win will also boost the profile of former Western Australian stallion Mosayter who is now based at Argyle Thoroughbreds near Orange in central New South Wales.

Louise Ellis from Argyle Thoroughbreds is hopeful Mosayter’s name will be more readily recognised now with a Group 1 winner and the Storm Cat stallion will be sort after by breeders.

“Three’s is still a lot of people that don’t realise where he is,” Ellis said.

“I even had one fellow two weeks ago who thought the stallion was still over in Western Australia.”

Ellis had leased Mosayter on a three year deal but after Mr Moet and promising sprinter Travinator started to put together win after win earlier in the year, she decided to purchase the stallion out right.

“I had him on a three year lease which was to run out at the end of the this season, but after his success earlier this year there was a fair bit of interest from the studs in WA which I expected the whole time, so I bought him outright to keep him,” Ellis said.

With the Perth Cup off the agenda, Mr Moet is likely to clash again with Luckygray at weight for age in the Group 1 $500,000 GR Engineering Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot on in two weeks.

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.