The excuses flowed freely after Victoria Derby winner Fiveandahalfstar finished second in the Autumn Classic at Caulfield two weeks ago.

The slow pace didn't suit him, he was underdone and his main missions in Sydney were still ahead of him.

But to Mark Kavanagh who trained the winner Super Cool, they only added to the merit of his horse's victory.

Super Cool and Fiveandahalfstar meet the fourth consecutive time in Saturday's Group One Australian Cup and Kavanagh is satisfied the Caulfield result will be repeated at Flemington.

"There was a lot of talk about the slow pace not suiting Fiveandahalfstar," Kavanagh said.

"But it was him who was in front, he made the pace. It was him who made it slow."

The rivalry between the two three-year-olds began in last spring's Derby where Fiveandahalfstar outstayed Super Cool who finished second.

It resumed in the Autumn Stakes at Caulfield a month ago when Fiveandahalfstar finished second to Mulaazem and Super Cool was third.

At their most recent meeting, Super Cool had his revenge, coming from last in the Autumn Classic to score a resounding win.

"Fiveandahalfstar outstayed us in the Derby, no doubt about that," Kavanagh said.

"But last week we were a bit sharper and we got him.

"Hopefully we can continue on with that sharpness, and this track's going to suit him."

Kavanagh reasoned that if Super Cool could come from last off a slow pace, he is likely to be better suited by the genuine speed that seems assured on Saturday.

Strong front runners like Glass Harmonium and Mourayan are bound to take the field along with Super Cool and Fiveandahalfstar drawn to take a comfortable trail.

While Super Cool is perfectly suited by the 2000m of the Australian Cup, Kavanagh is conscious of the task ahead of him.

"You've got the three-year-olds and you've got the proven weight-for-age horses," he said.

"If the wanna-be young guns can step up to the mark against the tough, old fighters, then you're going to see a fair dinkum race."

Among the old and tough is the Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon who is competing for favouritism with Super Cool in what is likely to be his second and final race for the autumn.

Jockey Brett Prebble has again made the trip from Hong Kong to ride the horse who finished a solid fourth behind All Too Hard over 1400m in the Futurity Stakes last start.

He won over the 2000m at Flemington in the spring and started favourite in the Cox Plate over virtually the same distance before his Cup win.

"The mail is he's going better than before he won the Melbourne Cup," Prebble said.

He might have to be.

If Green Moon is to win on Saturday he must emulate the great mares Makybe Diva and Let's Elope, the last two horses to win the Australian Cup in the autumn following their Melbourne Cup wins.