Darren Weir tried hard to tough it out after Puissance De Lune finished second in the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.

But in the end he couldn't hold back the emotion provoked by an unusual Glen Boss ride .

"He could have just sat there, couldn't he?" Weir said.

Puissance De Lune came from the back of the field to be beaten a half-head by Foreteller at his first attempt to win a Group One race.

The run was of full of merit and did nothing to harm Puissance De Lune's chances in the Cox Plate or the Melbourne Cup, race for which he is favourite.

Boss, whose big-race record is second to none, gave the big grey horse a lot to do, making his move at the 800m before striking the front 200m out and then being caught on the line by Foreteller.

Asked for an assessment off the ride, Weir initially advised inquirers to have a look at the replay.

"You can make up your own mind," he said.

Tackled again on the subject, Weir suggested a more prudent approach might have been to sit tight for another 400m on a horse having his second start from a spell.

"It wouldn't have hurt to wait and straighten up four lengths off them and then get after them," he said.

For all that, Weir and owner Gerry Ryan haven't lost faith.

Their horse remains favourite for the two biggest races in Australia and will proceed to the Underwood Stakes and then the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup.

"There's plenty more chances to come," Weir said.

"He needs some racing, we're happy enough."

Boss wasn't too tough on himself, suggesting the biggest problem was his horse's lack of fitness

"The race didn't work out like I wanted it to," he said.

"He surged to win it but ran out of condition."