Fiorente Mare Wins G2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup

It was a massive result for trainer Grahame Begg, when Michael Dee guided the lightweight Lunar Flare to victory in Saturday’s $1million Group II McCafe Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m).

In a desperate finish, the 6yo daughter of Fiorente (IRE) clung to a rapidly diminishing half-head advantage over Floating Artist (GB).

Racing in great heart, Lunar Flare advances her record to seven three six from 26 starts with earnings of $972,255.

“It’s absolutely outstanding. She’s been a model of consistency right through, right from the time I got her,” Begg said.

“She took a bit to work out but keeps stepping up to the line.

“We had a few doubts with the track deteriorating a little bit but, she’s hard fit, came off a good mile-and-a-half run a few weeks ago and what a great job.

“We’re so pleased to win for the connections. Great race to win, fair dinkum, a million dollar race.

“I didn’t leave her in the Melbourne Cup because I thought at the time she’d got beaten when it was time to pay up. I thought it was a bit hard to try and run her in a Melbourne Cup after a disappointing run, but she’s done her job up to now so we’ll have to consider what we’ll do. It could be the Queen Elizabeth or something like that.”

Bred by Mojo Thoroughbreds, Lunar Flare is a  half-sister to the stakes-placegetters Sea of Tranquility and Eagle Command.

She is the best of nine winners from as many to race out of the unraced Encosta De Lago mare My Fair Lago.

Another of the nine winners is Lunar Lights, the dam of the Listed VRC Taj Rossi Series Final winner Honey Steel’s Gold.

Melbourne Cup hero Fiorente stands at Widden Stud, Victoria, for a fee of $11,000.