Moudre gained compensation for his connections for the frustration of being balloted out of the Melbourne Cup when he won Saturday's Group Three Queen's Cup at Flemington.Apart from the $150,000 first prize, the Blevic five-year-old picked up a $100,000 bonus on offer to connections of the 10 horses balloted out of the Cup if their horse could win Saturday's 2600m feature.Moudre, who won the Listed Heatherlie Hcp (1700m) at Caulfield in August, also missed getting into the Caulfield Cup.He was r
Moudre gained compensation for his connections for the frustration of being balloted out of the Melbourne Cup when he won Saturday's Group Three Queen's Cup at Flemington.
Apart from the $150,000 first prize, the Blevic five-year-old picked up a $100,000 bonus on offer to connections of the 10 horses balloted out of the Cup if their horse could win Saturday's 2600m feature.
Moudre, who won the Listed Heatherlie Hcp (1700m) at Caulfield in August, also missed getting into the Caulfield Cup.
He was runner-up to subsequent Melbourne Cup winner Americain in the Geelong Cup before finishing fourth to Cup runner-up Maluckyday in The Lexus Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day.
"He's had a pretty frustrating spring," Warrnambool trainer Ciaron Maher said.
"He's been a bit unlucky and it's good to have him here and get the win today.
"I wasn't too worried about the Caulfield Cup but I thought here at Flemington, he really likes the track, and it was a little bit frustrating I couldn't get him into that (Melbourne Cup) but there's always next year.
"The main thing was just to try and get his rating up a bit just so he can get into the better type of races next year. The money's a bonus too.
"I always had confidence in the horse. He has had a fairly long campaign but he did really well and I really looked forward to today.
"He'll probably have a light autumn and target the spring again."
The final day of the Melbourne Cup carnival has been good to Maher who won the Group One Emirates Stakes with 100-1 shot Tears I Cry in 2007.
Saturday's victory capped off an outstanding Cup week for Craig Williams who rode seven winners, including the VRC Oaks on Brazilian Pulse, over the four days to be the leading rider.
Williams, who won the equivalent race two years ago on Capecover, had Moudre ($3.80 fav)travelling comfortably midfield on the fence before extricating him to the outside in the straight.
The gelding did the rest, sprinting quickly to score his third win from four Flemington starts.
He had three-quarters of a length to spare over Capecover ($20), who came from last, with Persian Star ($41) a half-head away third.
Internationals Drunken Sailor, prepared by Luca Cumani, and Eastern Aria, from the Mark Johnston stable, didn't fire finishing 10th and seventh respectively.