Glass Half Full for Mr Moet After Trial

Group 1 winning Perth stayer Mr Moet is on track for his Melbourne Cup campaign in Victoria this spring after impressing trainer Adam Durrant with their Lark Hill trial on Monday morning.

In their first official hit-out since a failed sixth to Super Cool in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington in early March, where gate 12 of 12 and 59kg got the better of them, Mosayter six-year-old Mr Moet stepped out at home in the 950m open trial.

It was a conservative ride from jockey Daniel Staeck too who didn’t let the horse get out to their full stride.

While the distance was far too short for last year’s Railway Stakes winner Mr Moet pleased Durrant hitting the line hard three and a half lengths away fourth behind their winning stablemate Glintz who could head to the $130,000 Listed Hannan’s Handicap (1400m) at Kalgoorlie on September 18.

It was exactly what Durrant was hoping to see from Mr Moet who is Victoria-bound this Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

“I’m really happy with him. He’s in great nick,” Durrant told The West Australian.

“In his 950 metre trial last prep he finished last (before winning their next over 1450m).

“That shows how good he’s going this time in.”

They will get at least one more trial at home stepping up to 1450m at Lark Hill again before travelling across the country for their spring debut in the $300,000 Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 7.

“He’ll have one or two more trials then go straight to Melbourne,” Durrant said.

“Hopefully there will be no setbacks between now and then and there are heaps of options for him there (in Melbourne).”

Mr Moet had three runs in Melbourne during the autumn including a close third behind crack Kiwi galloper All Too Hard in the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) for their interstate debut in February.

This prep they will be stepped up even further in distance however out to display their staying potential in the season’s majors.

Durrant will enter them for both the $2.5 million Group 1 BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 19, nominations for which close next Tuesday, as well as the $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) on the first Tuesday of November at Flemington Racecourse.

And after what he saw in Monday’s trial he is now more confident than ever that Mr Moet, topping the markets to take out this Saturday night’s Perth Racing WA Racehorse of the Year title, can be competitive in these classics.

“If he’s going well, we’ll have a crack at the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups,” Durrant confirmed.

Current Caulfield Cup betting markets have Mr Moet rated around the $41 mark while they can be found at triple figures in the pre-nomination odds for the ‘race that stops a nation’.

About The Author

Lucy Henderson

Lucy is an experienced horse racing journalist that has been a crucial member of the horseracing.com.au team for the better part of a decade. She has taken great delight in covering champion mares Black Caviar and Winx throughout their careers and always has a soft spot for a winning filly.