If the stars align and if racing lives up to its uncanny knack of delivering unusual coincidences, the last Melbourne Cup winner and the next will both win at Flemington on Saturday.
Green Moon, the most recent Cup champion, is favourite to add the Group One Australian Cup to his record.
Puissance de Lune winning the Jayco Bendigo Cup at Bendigo - photo by Race Horse Photos Australia (Steven Dowden)
And Puissance De Lune, the grey stayer from France who grabbed favouritism for this year’s Cup on the strength of a spring win at Bendigo and another at Flemington is pressing for Blamey Stakes favouritism.
Jockey Glen Boss is looking to Puissance De Lune to add strength to his bold prediction of 12 months ago the horse would win the 2013 Cup.
“I’ve got a lot of faith in this colt, I think he’s very, very good,” Boss told radio station RSN.
“I can’t wait to see him walk into the enclosure and see what progress he’s made since the spring.”
For trainer Darren Weir, Saturday’s race – the horse’s only autumn run – is being viewed with less tension.
“He’s only having the one run this time in, he’ll either win or he won’t,” he said.
Puissance De Lune has already shown an ability to perform well first up having won first up for seven months at his first start in Australia over 1700m at Warrnambool.
He won at Sandown at his next start and was then beaten at the same track before being spelled again.
Then began his phenomenal rush through the ranks that ended with his five-length win in the Group Three Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington, a run followed by the spell from which he resumes on Saturday.
He appears to be facing a stern test to win first up at Group Two level over 1600m, but not according to Boss.
“This colt is capable of anything,” he said.
