OWNER Lloyd Williams is set to unleash last year’s Melbourne Cup fancies Sea Moon and Mourayan in Friday week’s Listed Albury Gold Cup.
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In a major coup for the Albury Racing Club, stablemate Tanby could also start in the $170,000 feature race.
Williams said last year’s Sydney Cup winner Mourayan could use the Albury Cup as a stepping stone to the $1.5 million BMW (2400 metres) at Rosehill on April 5.
“The Albury Cup might be a race he could win, it won’t do him any harm to get him a win,” Williams said.
“I like going to Albury, we have quite a few property investments there.
“We’ve won a lot of cups, but not the Albury Cup.
“We might send Mourayan there, we might send Sea Moon there, we might send Tanby there, but we will certainly send two horses to the Albury Cup.”
Williams had his first Albury Gold Cup runner three years ago when C’est La Guerre was fifth to Paddy O’Reilly with godson Nicholas Hall aboard.
He also nominated Practiced last year but the horse was ruled out after suffering an injury in the lead up.
Sea Moon and Mourayan were part of Team Williams’ six-pronged assault on the Melbourne Cup last year alongside Caulfield Cup winner Fawkner, Seville, Masked Marvel and Green Moon.
Sea Moon was the best supported of the Williams runners and finished 13th behind Fiorente in the $6 million group 1 race when partnered by Steve Arnold at $11.
Mourayan started at $151 and ran 15th with Brenton Avdulla aboard.
Sea Moon resumed from an 18-week spell earlier this month at Flemington and finished at the tail of the field in the group 2 Blamey Stakes, taken out by Lidari.
Mourayan produced a slashing first-up run at Caulfield last month when second to Fiorente in the Peter Young Stakes.
At his most recent start he finished fourth in the group 1 Australian Cup, also taken out by Fiorente.
Tanby ran third in the Australian Cup last year and finished fourth at Flemington first-up from an 18-week spell earlier this month.