With the Cox Plate is fast approaching, Justhorseracing will over the next few weeks provide you with an in-depth look at the major players to contest the big race and how they are tracking, as well as giving you a preview of where they’ll run next, and a review of how they fared the weekend prior.
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And for the punters wanting to find some value, you need not worry. Week by week we will preview several value runners that should be monitored closely as they head towards possible Spring glory!
Cox Plate
Who ran last weekend?
Dissident has been fabulous this Spring, winning the Memsie before going on to win the Makyve Diva. Peter Moody then decided to drop the horse back to 1400m of the Sir Rupert Clarke Charity Cup (1400m) where the horse was simply outstanding in defeat, running second to Trust In A Gust, beaten a nose, despite giving the winner 6kg in weight. He will now go to the Caulfield Stakes (2000m) and then the Cox Plate.
The jury was out on Almalad after his opening two runs this time in, but he showed that he is going to be hard to beat in the Caulfield Guineas (1600m) and then the Cox Plate with a dominant Bill Stutt Stakes (1600m) triumph, sitting just off the speed before pouncing on the turn and comfortably holding his rivals at bay. 49.5kg in the Cox Plate for a horse who will definitely run 2040m brings him right into the mix.
The Cleaner is not the just the horse of Tasmania. He is starting to become the horse of Australia because we love a top class front running horse who never gives in, and that’s what this horse did in the JRA Cup (2040m), putting his foot down 800m out and not giving his rivals a look in despite getting tired on the line. He will separate the men from the boys in the big race and make it a fair dinkum contest.
Who is running this weekend?
Puissance De Lune is racing so well at the moment and is knocking on the door. Many were quick to pot him after his first up run in the P.B. Lawrence, but he bounced back to form with placings in the Memsie and Makybe Diva. He is crying out for distance and he gets it this Saturday in the Turnbull en route to the Cox Plate. He is a massive player, especially if any rain comes.
View the Turnbull Stakes market HERE
Silent Achiever is having her grand final in the Melbourne Cup, but as to where she goes to get ready for it remains to be unknown. Her first up run in the Memsie was very good behind Dissident, but I thought she was just fair in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) behind Foreteller after receiving every chance from Oliver. She will run in the Turnbull and that will tell us if she is going towards the Caulfield Cup or Cox Plate in readiness for the Melbourne Cup.
View the Turnbull Stakes market HERE
Happy Trails finished a narrow second in the race last year, and appears to be going much better 12 months later if his Underwood placing is any indication. Connections were hoping for an improved run after his Memsie effort, but they weren’t expecting him to look the winner 100m out. He was going to win, but a combination of fitness and a dashing Foreteller just got him late. He will be a leading contender in the Turnbull and will be hard to beat in the Cox Plate if he at least holds his form from 12 months back.
View the Turnbull Stakes market HERE
Where is the value?
The forgotten horse for the Spring is Super Cool. Needed the first up run in the Memsie, but in the Makybe Diva and Underwood, he has been very good late and strong through the line. He finished fifth in the Cox Plate and ninth in the Melbourne Cup last year, so we know he has the class, and he appears to be going quite well. He will run in the Turnbull this Saturday.
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Arabian Gold is one of the best mares in the business and she upstaged arguably the best in Australia last week in the Golden Pendant (140m) at Rosehill when sprinting clear of Catkins to win impressively first up. She is very exciting from a mile up to 2000m, and does have a turn of foot, which is critical for a Cox Plate contender. She will run in the Toorak Handicap (1600m) next week.
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The key international runner for the Cox Plate is Dan Excel, but a throat niggle has forced the John Moore camp to be playing catch up with the horse in preparation for the race. He was due to run in the Sir Rupert Clarke, but was withdrawn, and is now battling to get fit to run in the Toorak. He needs to run before the Cox Plate, but if he does, and performs well, he’ll be in the mix because his two best career outings have been when racing anti-clockwise at Singapore in the International Cup.
Dan Excel is currently $34 with Sportsbet.com.au + Register via this link for a $250 Bonus Bet!