Australian Cup goes to Super Cool

Super Cool, a Southern Hemisphere 3-year-old, won his second stakes of 2013 in Saturday’s $1,020,000 Australian Cup at Flemington Racecourse, earning a spot on the list of contenders for the Melbourne Cup at the same venue on Nov. 5.

In the Group 1 Australian Cup over about 1 1/4 miles, Super Cool beat a field that included Green Moon, the winner of the Melbourne Cup last November. Green Moon finished fourth of 10 on Saturday.

Super Cool, ridden by Michael Rodd, closed from the middle of the field to catch another Southern Hemisphere 3-year-old, Fiveandahalfstar. The result was a reverse of the Victoria Derby at Flemington last November, a race that Fiveandahalfstar won by 1 1/2 lengths.

Super Cool and Fiveandahalfstar are recognized as 4-year-olds in the Northern Hemisphere. Super Cool, by Fastnet Rock, won the Group 2 Autumn Classic at Caulfield Racecourse in February. Trainer Mark Kavanagh said that Super Cool has the Cox Plate in October as his main goal for the Australian spring.

There were two other Group 1 races in Australia on Saturday.

In the $1,020,000 Lexus Newmarket Handicap at Flemington, the 14-1 shot Shamexpress caught 11-5 favorite Moment of Change in the final strides to win the race over about six furlongs by a short head. Moment and Change and Shamexpress were second and sixth behind the unbeaten star female sprinter Black Caviar in the Lightning Stakes on Feb. 16.

Shoot Out defended his title in the $357,000 Chipping Norton Stakes over about a mile at Warwick Farms Racecourse. One of five runners in the field of 12 trained by Chris Waller, Shoot Out finished a short head in front of the 30-1 shot Monton.