Sea Moon

VERY suprised to still see Sea Moon in the top 15....While Dawn Approach is many spots behind him.

Sea Moon has been purchased by Melbourne Cup-winning owner Lloyd Williams with a view of winning the showcase race in November. He will be trained by Victoria based handler Robert Hickmott.

After finding abnormal bloodwork this morning, Sea Moon has been scratched from the Hong Kong Vase

Sir Michael Stoute told AtTheRaces.com today that Sea Moon would only run in the G1 Prix De l' Arc De Triomphe on October 7th if the ground at Longchamp should come up soft? Stoute said the G1 Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine the following Sunday is the more likely target of the two for Sea Moon this year.

With so much of the media hype at Royal-Ascot surrounding Black Caviar and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes on Saturday, I think it's really gotten lost in the shuffle what a fantastic race BC Turf runner-up, Sea Moon, ran to win a very competitive renewal of the G2 Hardwicke Stakes today. He had G1 Melbourne Cup and G1 Hong Kong Vase winner, Dunaden, behind him by 3-1/4 lengths officially, and Melbourne Cup runner-up and recent Yorkshire Cup winner, Red Cadeaux behind him by 4 lengths officially. I thought this race was by far the best Sea Moon has looked since he romped away with the G2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York last season. But this was a much tougher field than he faced at York that day.

Sir Michael Stoute didn't have a runner in the 2011 G1 Sheema Classic in Dubai after having Spanish Moon finish 2nd for him in the 2009 Sheema and 3rd in the 2010 Sheema. Juddmonte elected to send the then Barry Hills trained, now Charlie Hills trained Redwood as their horse in 2011. But I'm hearing that Sir Michael could be back, and in a big way again for the 2012 Sheema Classic. After back to back disappointing efforts in the G1 Canadian International Stakes and the G1 Hong Kong Vase for Redwood in 2011, the Sir Michael Stoute trained Sea Moon heads the Juddmonte list of potential entries for the 2012 Sheema Classic. Sea Moon's coming off a game 2nd place effort to St Nicholas Abbey in the G1 BC Turf back in November. He won the G2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in a romp in August over 12f, and finished 3rd behind Masked Marvel and Brown Panther in the G1 St. Leger at Doncaster over 1-3/4. Sea Moon had a bit of a troubled trip in the St. Leger, and probably should have finished at least 2nd that day. This horse gets the 12f strong, and has already shown the ability to stay at 14f. If he runs at a level of form in the Sheema comparable to what he ran at York, Doncaster, and Churchill Downs? Sir Michael Stoute could finally get one of his horses into the Sheema Classic winners circle after being really close in 2009 and 2010. JMO.