Peters weighs up Cosmic Crusader's options
Australian breeder-owner Bob Peters is undecided which race his Group One winner Cosmic Crusader (NZ) (Maurice) will next contest, following his luckless run in Saturday’s Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
The New Zealand born son of Maurice will either line up in the Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 12, or the Gr.1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield a week later.
If Cosmic Crusaders goes to the Makybe Diva, he will likely bump into Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman’s gun mare Sheza Alibi.
“I’m undecided at this stage. I’ll give it some thought and make a decision in due course,” Peters told Racing.com.
Cosmic Crusader is rated an $8 chance in pre-post Makybe Diva Stakes markets, with Sheza Alibi all the rage at $1.70, while in the Underwood Stakes, he is a $4.50 second favourite behind Aeliana ($3.50).
A winner of the Gr.1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) in December when prepared by Michael Grantham, Cosmic Crusader finished third in the Memsie, 3.35 lengths behind the winner, Beiwacht.
After jumping from his wide alley (11 of 12), jockey William Pike took Cosmic Crusader back to last. After Pike pulled out, his mount was inconvenienced by Angel Capital at the 600m and gave Beiwacht a big margin at the top of the straight before working home well.
The Andrea Leek-trained six-year-old is on a Cox Plate path. Cosmic Crusader is a $15 hope for the 2040-metre Group One, which will be run at Flemington on October 24.
