Fiorente's smashing Plate run From left, Nash Rawiller on Fiorente, Nick Hall on Fawkner, Dwayne Dunn on Happy Trails (winner), Glen Boss on Puissance de Lune and Michael Walker on Hawkspur in the Turnbull Stakes. Saturday's Turnbull Stakes meeting at Flemington only managed to confuse matters as far as this year's weight-for-age group 1 Cox Plate was concerned. The Gai Waterhouse-trained Fiorente turned in a stunning performance to narrowly miss a place and lost no admirers. "A tremendous run, he missed the jump again then got smashed 500 metres after the start and his last 300 must have been phenomenal," jockey Nash Rawiller said. South Australian six-year-old Happy Trails, who won the $500,000 group 1 Turnbull Stakes, is now a genuine contender for the Cox Plate, according to jockey Dwayne Dunn. As those two interstate Cox Plate hopefuls firmed in markets, jockey Glen Boss urged supporters of the French stayer Puissance De Lune not to abandon the horse. While Puissance De Lune finished second in the Turnbull and is still yet to achieve group 1 success, both trainer Darren Weir and Boss were still bullish about the horse's hopes of winning the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup double. When he exploded at the 200-metre mark I thought I would win easily. He's hating the good 3 rating track, he was hurting over the last 100, trying to get off one leg," Boss said. He needs give in the track. Weir supported Boss' belief that the Moonee Valley track will be kinder to Puissance De Lune when he starts there in the Cox Plate. While trainer Paul Beshara was understandably delighted by Happy Trails' group 1 success, the South Australian must appear before the Racing and Disciplinary Board on Friday on charges related to raceday treatment. As far as the Caulfield Cup is concerned, it seems Chris Waller's freakish performance in the last six months may continue. His two main hopefuls, Hawkspur and Royal Descent, will be primed for the October 19 feature after nice efforts in Saturday's race. Hawkspur, who finished fifth, had jockey Michael Walker excited at his chances in the cup. "I wish I was in Jimmy Cassidy's shoes come Caulfield Cup day," Walker said. Craig Newitt, who partnered Royal Descent, was also brimming with confidence. "I know she finished 11th, it was a huge run, she nearly fell 100 metres after the start and then she was stopped again in the last 100," he said. Waller continued his group 1 streak by winning Saturday's Epsom Handicap at Randwick with Boban, who will head to Melbourne later in the spring for the Emirates Stakes. The powerful Lloyd Williams stable had a mixed day in two states. The high profile Sea Moon was first past the post in The Bart Cummings (2520m) but lost the race on protest to another import, Araldo. But Williams' day improved when his stayer Seville was successful in the group 1 Metropolitan Handicap in Sydney later in the day. Seville will be aimed for a tilt at the Melbourne Cup.