Melbourne Cup winner returns to training

MELBOURNE, Dec 3 AAP - Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon's next major target is likely to be the $1 million Group One Australian Cup at Flemington in March.

The six-year-old import will be back in work at owner Lloyd Williams's Macedon property on Tuesday, according to Sky Racing.

He is set to prepare for the March 9 race by lining up in the $500,000 Group One Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 23.

Williams's gelding Zipping won the 2010 Australian Cup at his second-up start after resuming in the C F Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

Meanwhile, the Mark Kavanagh-trained December Draw will miss the 2013 Melbourne autumn carnival due to surgery to remove bone chips.

Last year's Turnbull Stakes winner is likely to be sidelined for up to 12 weeks, which means a possible autumn campaign would be improbable.

The gelding ran seventh of eight in the Group One Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at his last start after failing to run on in the Caulfield Cup.