Best is yet to come for Consul

By Mark Ryan

MELBOURNE, Aug 30 AAP - 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.

Feroce said 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 (1600m)."

Feroce said the four-year-old's spring missions were the Caulfield Cup (2400m) and the Melbourne Cup (3200m) 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 Monaco Consul 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 on Wednesday and the stable's other prospect, Fairfield Flame, is nominated in Saturday's Group Two Let's Elope Stakes (1400m).

The Oasis Dream six-year-old mare has won two races in New Zealand at 2830m and 2200m and was placed in the Group Two Waikato Cup (2400m) four starts back in December.

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

There were 30 entries for the Makybe Diva including reigning Melbourne Cup winner Shocking, Danleigh, Metal Bender, last year's winner Vigor and stablemate Master O'Reilly who ran third last year, Rebel Raider and Zavite.

Five Lloyd Williams-owned horses were nominated including Irish St Leger and Prix Du Cadran winner Alandi, C'est La Guerre and Mourayan.

Linton is likely to start in the Voodoo Plate (1400m), while Rundle is nominated for that race as well as the Spring Is The Season Handicap (1700m).

Lee Freedman nominated four imported runners - Fanjura, Above Average, Doctor Fremantle and The Metropolitan winner Speed Gifted.

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