Racing: Monaco Consul pleases Moroney

Last season's Victoria Derby winner returns to Flemington on Saturday in the second start of his spring campaign. Photo / Greg Bowker

MELBOURNE - The Mike Moroney stable was happy with Monaco Consul's first-up effort and is looking for further improvement from the Cups prospect in Saturday's group two Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.

A successive winner of group one races with his victories in last year's Spring Champion Stakes and the Victoria Derby, Monaco Consul finished sixth to Shoot Out in the J J Liston Stakes (1400m) when resuming at Caulfield on August 14.

"We were very happy with the run," said stable manager Anthony Feroce.

While Monaco Consul was in the worst part of the track in the Liston, jockey Craig Williams had been instructed to ride him that way.

"Craig was instructed to stay near the inside and ride him for luck along the fence. It wasn't his grand final," Feroce said.

"He's trained on really well and we expect him to improve on his first-up run. He'll appreciate the bigger track at Flemington and the mile."

Feroce said the 4-year-old's spring missions were the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup and the stable rated him a better Melbourne Cup prospect.

"It depends on what happens on Saturday. His next run could be in the Underwood or we might wait and go to the Turnbull a couple of weeks after that," Feroce said.

He said the stable would be happy if the 4-year-old son of High Chaparral was similarly weighted to the 54.5kg the previous year's Victoria Derby winner Rebel Raider received in last year's Melbourne Cup. "That would guarantee that he gets a start," he said.

Cups weights are released today and the stable's other prospect, Fairfield Flame, is nominated in Saturday's group two Let's Elope Stakes (1400m).

The Oasis Dream 6-year-old mare has won over 2200m in New Zealand and wasthird in the Waikato Cup (2400m) four starts back in December. She also won a minor event over 2800m in the Northern Hemisphere.

She resumed with a sixth to Mont Fleuri in a 1400m mares' event at Caulfield on August 14.

- AAP