Melbourne Cup not Yet Lost for Godolphin Stayer

Lost In The Moment may have missed a start in last year’s Melbourne Cup but a return to form over the weekend could see him again chase success in Australia’s biggest race this spring.

The Godolphin-owned stayer, who finished sixth in the 2011 Melbourne Cup, broke a 30-month drought to return to the winner’s circle in the Listed Fred Archer Stakes (2400m) at Newmarket on Saturday.

It was the six-year-old’s first start since finishing fifth in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Flemington in November and he is expected to only improve as he steps up in distance.

Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor was hesitant to commit too far into the future but said August’s Group 2 Goodwood Cup (3200m) stood as his next possible goal.

“Options are open for him now but he was second in the Goodwood Cup two years ago so could head back to that race and we will take future plans from there,” the Newmarket trainer told media in the UK.

“We gave him a break after his final run last year and the horse has improved physically and seems much better…we have started him off over a mile and a half (2400m) but he will be better over a mile and six furlongs (2800m) or two miles (3200m).”

The first-up win and further success could be required if the entire is to run in a second Melbourne Cup after his rating fell short of that necessary to find a spot among the top 24 hopefuls last year.

By Danehill Dancer from Streetcar, Lost In The Moment has now won five times from 25 starts, with Saturday’s triumph his first at stakes level.

The 2011 Goodwood Cup second to stablemate Opinion Poll is probably the major career highlight but he also boasts a  third-place finish in the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup at York last August.

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