Monaco Consul presses on

By Mark Ryan
MELBOURNE, Oct 6 AAP - Mike Moroney will press on with Monaco Consul towards Saturday week's Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup despite his lacklustre performance in last weekend's Turnbull Stakes.
A dual Group One winner as a three-year-old, Monaco Consul disappointed Moroney when he could finish only 12th, beaten nine lengths, to Zipping in the 2000m Turnbull at Flemington.
"He can do that (put in a bad run). You wouldn't believe he's drawn barriers one, two and one in his three runs this preparation which doesn't suit him as he doesn't like too much crowding," Moroney said.
"We think he's a better horse when he can race outside horses.
"He just ran up a couple of bums and couldn't quicken at the right time.
"We're going to press on to the Caulfield Cup and then go straight into the Melbourne Cup all going well.
"We still think he'll be hard to beat in those races because he got going again and his sectionals were alright (in the Turnbull).
"The run was mystifying, slightly disappointing, but after watching it again and looking at the sectionals we weren't as disappointed as we were originally."
The 2009 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) and Victoria Derby (2500m) winner is weighted to carry 54kg in both Cups and is at $31 in the Caulfield Cup, in which Metal Bender is $6.50 favourite, and $41 in the Melbourne Cup in which Shocking is $7.50 favourite.
AAP TURF mr/gm