With the dust barely settled after GREEN MOON's Melbourne Cup victory, Alan Eskander's Betstar has launched its opening markets for next year's spring majors, and it is Cup runner-up FIORENTE who has caught Eskander's eye. The Gai Waterhouse-trained import shares the top line of Melbourne Cup betting with MOUNT ATHOS at $17 and he has ETHIOPIA, LASER HAWK and SILENT ACHIEVER for company at the pointy end of the first Caulfield Cup market for 2013. "I was very taken with FIORENTE's effort in

With the dust barely settled after GREEN MOON's Melbourne Cup victory, Alan Eskander's Betstar has launched its opening markets for next year's spring majors, and it is Cup runner-up FIORENTE who has caught Eskander's eye. The Gai Waterhouse-trained import shares the top line of Melbourne Cup betting with MOUNT ATHOS at $17 and he has ETHIOPIA, LASER HAWK and SILENT ACHIEVER for company at the pointy end of the first Caulfield Cup market for 2013. "I was very taken with FIORENTE's effort in this year's Cup, especially given that he hadn't had a lead-up run in this country," Eskander told PPD. "Gai now has 12 months to plan a program for FIORENTE and I'm sure she'll aim the horse specifically at the Melbourne Cup in 2013 with the Caulfield Cup a bonus along the way.'

Alan Eskander reckons Gai Waterhouse could have a very strong hand in next year's Cups with LASER HAWK the one to watch. "He missed this year's spring but he showed his class as a three-year-old and if he comes back OK, I expect him to be a major player next spring and that's why he shares the top line of Caulfield Cup betting," he says. "Another emerging horse is the French import, PUISSANCE DE LUNE which Betstar has on the second line of betting for both Cups. They took the soft option with her this spring but her win in the Bendigo Cup was breathtaking...We've seen how good the French stayers are and it wouldn't surprise me to see PUISSANCE DE LUNE take the next step and be a major player in next year's spring features."

2013 Caulfield Cup - Run 19th October 2013 Win
Ethiopia 21
Fiorente 21
Laser Hawk 21
Silent Achiever (NZ) 21
Glencadam Gold 26
Green Moon 26
It's A Dundeel 26
Kelinni 26
Lucas Cranach 26
Puissance De Lune 26
Seville 26
Strawberry Boy 26
Alcopop 34
Atlantic Jewel 34
Callanish 34
Dare To Dream 34
Dear Demi 34
Dunaden (FR) 34
Fiveandahalfstar 34
Folding Gear 34
Gatewood (GB) 34
Lights Of Heaven 34
Massiyn 34
Michelangelo 34
Mount Athos (GB) 34
My Quest For Peace (GB) 34
Norzita 34
Sneak A Peek 34
Zydeco 34