One time 2013 Melbourne Cup favourite Puissance De Lune is back in work at Darren Weir’s Ballarat stables with another Spring Carnival campaign planned.
Puissance De Lune is back in work for anther Spring Carnival campaign. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
While a Cup’s campaign is not on the agenda, Weir said that the Group 1 $350,000 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington in September would be a good target for the six year old who has been troubled with tendon problems.
“He won’t be looking at the Melbourne Cup or the Caulfield Cup, he’s just going to be looking for a let’s say, a good race like the Makybe Diva Stakes. That would suit him perfectly,” Weir told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“I don’t think a Cox Plate would be on his schedule but it is imperative that he get a Group 1 race just to strengthen his breeding profile when he goes to stud. It’s so important to the horse’s breeding potential that a group 1 race would make all the difference.”
Weir and owner Gerry Ryan are keen to win a Group 1 race with the grey import to enhance he potential as a stallion when he does retire from racing.
The Shamardal stallion was tagged a top fancy for last year’s Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington after winning the Group 3 $250,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington the previous Spring by five lengths.
Puissance De Lune was on the verge of collecting a Group 1 trophy with seconds in last Spring’s Makybe Diva Stakes and the Group 1 $500,000 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
But his 2013 Spring carnival fell apart when he pulled up lame after finishing twelfth to Shamus Award in the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley and subsequently had to undergo a long rehabilitation program for his injured tendons.
Puissance De Lune arrived back at Weir’s Ballarat complex on May 1 and has kicked off with light work there before being transferred to his Warrnambool base to rev up his Spring campaign.
“He arrived at my place in Ballarat and the start of the month and after a while he’ll then move down to my other property at Warrnambool and from there we’ll map out a spring campaign,” Weir said.
“As I say, it’ll be a much different plan to the one he had last year.”
Puissance De Lune has earned over $770,000 from one win in France and seven for Weir and Ryan in Victoria from a total of eighteen starts here and in Europe.
