WA trainer happy to fly under radar with Mr Moet

PERTH trainer Adam Durrant is not concerned that his arrival in Melbourne with vastly improved stayer Mr Moet has been largely overshadowed by the appearance later this month of Western Australia's unbeaten sprinter Barakey in Victoria. In fact those involved with the Australian Cup hopeful are more than happy to fly under the radar and allow the speedy Barakey to absorb the media attention and leave Mr Moet to make his Melbourne debut as a relative unknown. It has been a quick and heady rise to

PERTH trainer Adam Durrant is not concerned that his arrival in Melbourne with vastly improved stayer Mr Moet has been largely overshadowed by the appearance later this month of Western Australia's unbeaten sprinter Barakey in Victoria.

In fact those involved with the Australian Cup hopeful are more than happy to fly under the radar and allow the speedy Barakey to absorb the media attention and leave Mr Moet to make his Melbourne debut as a relative unknown.

It has been a quick and heady rise to group racing for Mr Moet, who only last June started to show any semblance of worthwhile potential.

His remarkable vein of form translated into group success during the WA summer carnival. So rapid was his leap from restricted company to winning the group 1 Railway Stakes with a withering finishing burst, it led connections to decide on a trip east and a shot at the Australian Cup.

''He's come a long, long way that's for sure. He showed nothing in his first six race starts. In fact after his first three trips to the races I thought he was just no good,'' Durrant said. ''But suddenly in June things clicked and he just went from battling to better to very good, and now we are in Melbourne having a crack at major races like the Australian Cup.''

Durrant, 29, knows that match fitness is very much on the side of WA gallopers at this time of year. With the summer carnival having just concluded, those emerging from the major races still have the sort of residual fitness that the two major contenders for Saturday's group 1 Orr Stakes at Caulfield - All Too Hard and Callanish - will be lacking, particularly so as both are making their first racecourse appearances since the spring. (www.theage.com.au)