Saturday’s Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes sees the eagerly awaited return of Puissance De Lune. The galloping grey won this race last year to cement his position as favourite for the Melbourne Cup but things did not go his way during the course of the season.
His ran well in defeat in the Makybe Diva Stakes and the Turnbull Stakes and many still had faith in him for Flemington until he was struck by injury on his fourth start. At first it was thought that he was simply lame but scans revealed lesions on both front tendons. For a while it seemed that we may have seen the last of him on the racecourse but connections have brought him back in search of a Group 1 victory.
Their target is the Makybe Diva in which he was narrowly beaten by Foreteller last season. Reading between the lines, he is expected to need this race and they would be delighted to see him finishing strongly in the first four or five. The bookmakers aren’t taking any chances by chalking him up at around 2-1 but there must be better value elsewhere.
Foreteller also suffered an injury when disappointing in The BMW at Rosehill Gardens and he is another on the road to recovery for Chris Waller. Blarney Stakes winner Lidari usually goes well first time up and Peter Moody has entered him in the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate. He is quite short in the betting at around 4-1 and I prefer the claims of former UK middle-distance performer Spillway.
Spillway joined David Hayes after running well in Group 2 and Group 3 races, notably when placed in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood. He also ran creditably when fourth to Telescope in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York. He won his second start in Australia in the Group 3 Japan Racing Association Plate at Royal Randwick in April. His fitness is also open to question.
A couple who are race fit are Gig and Zamorar. Gig was second to Thiamandi at Caulfield last month in the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes and could again sneak into the frame. Zamorar was third to Tiger Tees in the Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap last weekend under Katelyn Mallyon. The young jockey is looking for her first taste of Group race victory and could be in the money with fitness doubts over so many of her rivals.
Zamorar @8.0 Ladbrokes
Gig @15.0 Ladbrokes
Each-way 1/5 odds, 1,2,3
