A light autumn campaign is the plan for stayer Vengeur Masque before attention turns to the spring and a crack at the Melbourne Cup.
Vengeur Masque has narrowly missed out on a Melbourne Cup start twice but still made his mark last spring in Victoria by winning the Group Three Geelong Cup (2400m) and Group Three Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m).
He finished second in the Lexus Stakes (2500m) at Flemington on November 4, failing to get a ballot exemption into the Melbourne Cup, and instead had to wait for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes four days later.
Trainer Mike Moroney said the imported gelding was likely to have a two-start autumn campaign.
“He’s probably going to kick off in the Golden Mile at Bendigo and then go to Sydney for a mile-and-a-quarter race,” Moroney said.
Moroney is thrilled with the way the six-year-old has come back.
“He looks a different horse again,” Moroney said.
“And he’s going to be fully mature by the time spring comes around.”
Vengeur Masque had the second jump-out of his preparation on Friday at Flemington and his jockey Patrick Moloney also believes the gelding is stronger this time.
Moroney is keen to target the spring with the gelding and expects he will get enough weight this time to make the 2018 Melbourne Cup field given he has won the Geelong Cup and Queen Elizabeth Stakes since the weights for last year’s race were released.
The Listed Golden Mile (1600m) is on April 7.
