The Melbourne Cup is still the main target for Moudre
Moudre was seen a major threat for the 2010 Melbourne Cup however he never got the chance to show his true ability, failing to force his way into the final field.
He’s coming back in 2011 though and if the connections have their way this will be the year he gets his chance on Australia’s biggest race day.
Things were looking good in 2010 when Moudre surged home late in the Naturalism Stakes at Caulfield and signalled his arrival a month and a half out from the Melbourne Cup.
Following that run he entered the Herbert Power Stakes but couldn’t find the same spark, instead settling for fourth behind a cheeky run by Linton.
The Geelong Cup was the main one though, his performance there is what many punters are holding onto in 2011.
Moudre ran second in that event, the only one ahead of him the eventual Melbourne Cup winner Americain.
Unfortunately he wasn’t high enough in the order of entry to sneak a start so he looked for one final exemption race, The Lexus on Victoria derby Day.
He was again competitive but not quite good enough finishing fourth behind the eventual second placed Melbourne Cup runner Maluckyday.
He had one more start of the spring season and across the 2600m trip of the Group 3 Queens Cup he was too classy for them and grabbed a much deserved win.
Naturally the stable was full of confidence returning in 2011 but at the beginning of the year things didn’t go well at all.
He ran 15th first up in the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes, however the 1400m is clearly too short a trip.
He got an extra 400m in the Group 1 St George Stakes but on that occasion he was only good enough for 8th.
Things didn’t get any better over 2000m in the Australian Cup, his distant 9th enough for trainer Ciaron Maher to put him out in the paddock.
Although that little section of his career was far from ideal the spring has always been the main aim and all preparations are squarely focussed on the 2011 Melbourne Cup.
“Moudre is going well,” Maher said.
“He’s back in work, his action is good and he’s just ticking along slowly at the moment.
“He might resume in a handicap on Memsie Stakes Day at Caulfield ($100,000 Listed Heatherlie Handicap, 1700m).
“If he comes up a little quicker we could follow a similar path to last year.
“Hopefully he gets qualified and into the Melbourne Cup which is obviously the grand final for him.
“It would be great to get him there.
“He’s a good horse and he has form around Americain.
“If he can get back to similar form I’d be rapt and he should too because he has had a good break and he’s a rising six-year-old.
“He’s a slow maturer and not over raced so you would think this would be one of his better springs.”
Early on there is one stat that’s in his favour, of the 149 Melbourne Cup champions in the races history a fairly healthy proportion of 24 have been six year old geldings or stallions.
