Fawkner provided something of a consolation for the Lloyd Williams team when he easily won the Oaks day opener, the La Vie En Rose Vase, at Flemington.
Williams, who spent $20 million on imports hoping to secure a fourth Melbourne Cup, last week had six horses heading towards the great race but was left with only one, At First Sight (10th), after Mourayan was a late scratching due to a hoof issue.
Williams’ son Nick said Mourayan would run in the Group Two Zipping Classic (2400m) at Sandown on Saturday week.
“He’s perfect and all things being equal we’ll run him in the Zipping Classic,” Williams said.
Stable jockey Nick Hall summed up Cup week after the win on Fawkner ($5 eq fav) who he guided to a 3-1/4-length win over race leader Bellissimo ($13) with Ulundi ($14) a short half-head away third in the 1800m event.
“(It was) probably a consolation prize for the week we’ve had,” Hall said.
“This game, this industry, keeps your feet very much on the ground. The wins wouldn’t be as satisfying as they are if it was easy.
“He (Fawkner) did it really easy. He has got a great attitude and he’ll get further, he was strong through the line.
“He is definitely part of the A-team.”
Nick Williams was happy to break through in Cup week with the promising four-year-old gelding who has won four of his six starts.
“He’s dear to our heart obviously being by the sire of the moment Reset, the sire of the Cox Plate winner (Pinker Pinker), out of a mare called Dane Belltar who is also the mother of Tanby who won the Bendigo Cup last week,” he said.
“So it’s a family we like and he’s, with a bit of luck, going places. He’s got a hell of a long way to go but let’s hope he can improve from there.
“Nick won this race for us a couple of years ago (on Tintern) so he knows the race well.”
AAP TURF
