JOCKEY Glen Boss celebrates winning on Puissance de Lune in the Queen Elzabeth Stakes during 2012 Emirates Stakes Day at Flemington Racecourse. Picture: Getty Images Source: Herald Sun
THE cheers have barely died down from Green Moon's win in Tuesday's Melbourne Cup - and now we have an unbackable favourite for next year.
Puissance De Lune produced what champion jockey Glen Boss rated as the performance of the year and bookies took the extraordinary steps of making the stayer an $8 favourite for the 2013 Melbourne Cup.
Trainer Darren Weir said he can also start dreaming of having one of the leading contenders for the world's richest handicap race.
Puissance De Lune's unbelievably easy win in the Group 3 $250,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington yesterday had everyone shaking their head in disbelief, including the jockey. "I haven't had that feeling on a horse for a bloody long time, a really long time," Boss said.
"He's a serious, serious stayer. He could have won by triple the margin.
"I was pulling him up at the 200m, looking at the crowd.
"It was the performance of the year, we're looking at a superstar and if he keeps his four wheels on he could be capable of doing a lot."
Puissance De Lune, coming off an eight-length Bendigo Gold Cup win, started $3 favourite and made a classy Queen Elizabeth Stakes field look very ordinary as he romped home five lengths clear of last year's winner Ironstein ($26) with Tanby ($21) 2 1/2 lengths away third.
Weir, who trained She's Archie to finish second to the great Makybe Diva in the 2003 Melbourne Cup, was almost lost for words.
"Our aim this spring was to win the Bendigo Gold Cup and if he went well there, then we would look at this race," Weir said.
"He went better than I expected at Bendigo but this was something else again.
"I had She's Archie run well in a Melbourne Cup but haven't had a runner since.
"I know it is 12 months away but I suppose we can start dreaming again."
Puissance De Lune was so impressive some corporate bookmakers who are already operating on next year's Melbourne Cup have installed the former French stayer as favourite.
The "grey flash" is as short as $8 with bookies - the skinniest odds offered on a Melbourne Cup favourite a year before the race in memory.
Puissance De Lune is raced by Gerry Ryan, owner of the 2010 Melbourne Cup winner Americain.
Just 48 hours after retiring his Melbourne Cup hero, he might have found another in Puissance De Lune.
"That was so exciting," Ryan said.
"Rob Roulston found Puissance De Lune in France about 12 months ago and rang me to say he had this nice horse I should buy.
"So, I paid 100,000 euros for him and the main aim with him was to try to win the Bendigo Cup.
"He's exceeded my expectations, he's exceeded everyone's expectations."
Makybe Diva won the 2002 Queen Elizabeth Stakes before claiming her famous Melbourne Cup hat-trick in 2003-04-05.
Boss, who rode Makybe Diva to her Melbourne Cup three-peat, had not even dismounted from the grey after the race when he pointed at Ryan and said: "I'm writing my name on this horse's shoulder, you won't get me off him!"
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