KEY POINTS:
New Zealand mare Eskimo Queen has surrendered Caulfield Cup favouritism but trainer Mike Moroney isn't throwing in the towel after her Turnbull Stakes flop at Flemington on Saturday.
Backed into $4.80 on TAB Sportsbet for the Caulfield Cup before the Group One, 2000m feature, Eskimo Queen has drifted to $8.50 with the betting agency after finishing eighth, almost seven lengths behind winner Devil Moon.
Moroney said from his Flemington stables in Melbourne yesterday that he could find nothing amiss with the Shinko King mare, who put in the worst run of her 10-race career.
"I think most of the trainers are scratching their heads after that. We're going to have to just discard the run because I can't find any reason why she ran that way."
There was some consolation for Moroney from the disappointing efforts of highly-rated trio El Segundo (sixth), Efficient (11th) and Marasco (14th) on a tricky Flemington track where jockeys were all steering to the outside fence late in the day.
Eskimo Queen, an $11 chance, dropped to the tail of the field from her wide draw but jockey Craig Newitt looked like he was in the best part of the track when making her run wide approaching the turn.
At the 400m, she looked a chance but at the 200m it was clear she wasn't going to sprint up to the leaders. A slow pace up front didn't help, but Newitt admitted the mare was still disappointing at the business end.
"I had to go back to last from that gate (14) and they didn't go overly quick. When they quickened she wasn't that far away but the last 200m she was a bit dour," Newitt said. "In the Caulfield Cup we'll just ride her a lot more positive."
Moroney's fingers are now crossed for a handy barrier draw for the Caulfield Cup on October 20, over the same distance as her Queensland Oaks win in June.
"It's a very open race now. The 2400m will definitely suit her better but the draw will be a huge factor.
"The softer the trip we can get the longer we can wait for her sprint."
Eskimo Queen will go into the race without another start. She was vaccinated yesterday for equine influenza, with Moroney saying the other 40 horses in his stable had shown no ill effects from the injection recently.
Devil Moon is now an $8.50 joint second favourite for the feature with TAB Sportsbet, but trainer Mark Kavanagh said she was more likely to contest the Cox Plate.
Her stablemate Maldivian shortened to $4.80 favourite for the Cup and might have his final lead-up race at Caulfield next Saturday.
Meanwhile, Moroney was impressed by the win of the Mark Walker-trained Princess Coup in the Kelt Stakes (2040m).
"It was a strong win and she's got to be competitive [in the Cup]."
- NZPA
