VENGEUR MASQUE SO BRAVE AT FLEMINGTON

Mike Moroney advised Patrick Moloney to watch Greg Childs’ winning ride on Second Coming in the 1997 Victoria Derby for a guide on how he wanted Vengeur Masque ridden and the young rider replicated it perfectly in Saturday’s Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington.

Vengeur Masque led to the home turn but ws being pressured around the home turn before the son of Monsun fought back in the straight to beat Grey Lion by three-quarters of a length while Wheal Leisure was another half-length away third.

Moroney compared the son of Monsun to his previous Melbourne Cup winner.

“He’s just got a lot more stronger this time around and just like Brew he’s improved out of sight,” Moroney said.

“He’ll get better and I think next year he’ll be better again. 

“We’ve tried to make the field the past two years and missed out so hopefully it’ll be a case of third time lucky.”

The Queen Elizabeth Stakes provided a $100,000 bonus for Vengeur Masque’s connections, who claimed the bonus on offer to the winner of Saturday’s race if the horse was balloted out of the Melbourne Cup.

Vengeur Masque has gone close to earning a Melbourne Cup berth without success in the last two years but the Irish-bred galloper has increased his chances of a 2018 start with wins in the Geelong Cup at Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

“It’s just disappointing that he didn’t make the Melbourne Cup, we knew it was his first year of the next two to make the Cup,” Moroney said. 

“I would have loved to have run him this year, he would have really run well but we just missed out.”

After watching the Second Coming replay Moloney reminded Moroney he was four at the time.

"The training genius by Mike with the gear change of the ear muffs going on, he’s just relaxed so well his last three runs,” Moloney said.

“He’s done so well, winning the Geelong Cup, just got beaten in the Lexus, and then he's come out today and won the Queen Elizabeth.

"Hopefully that puts him in good stead to get a crack at it next year.”