A call on whether three-year-old Nepotism lines up in the G1 Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on Saturday week is expected shortly, according to co-trainer Wayne Hawkes.
Speaking on SEN Track’s Giddy Up on Monday, Hawkes said the stable is weighing up four paths after Nepotism’s seventh in the Caulfield Guineas.
“Do we run in the Cox Plate, do we run in the AAMI Vase, do we go to the Spring Champion or do we go to the paddock? Every one of those, in theory, is alive,” he said.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to make the right decision.
“It’s not an easy decision.”
Hawkes noted the colt left a little feed on race night but bounced back well thereafter.
“Straight away, you look and see how the horse pulls up, then the next morning, Sunday morning, you see how bright they are, how much (food) they left. He left a double handful of feed Saturday night. Then, you see how he is this morning (Monday), he licked the bottom of the (feed) bin this morning, which is always a good sign. Now, that you’ve ticked those boxes… if he had left four or five dippers (of feed), well, there’s your answer.”
A Group 1 winner of the Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick in April, Nepotism was a $18 chance in the Guineas, settling third-last on the rail for Blake Shinn and closing to finish 4.3 lengths from Autumn Boy.
“He ran the fastest (final) 800 (metres), the fastest 600 and the fastest 400 of the race and he’s still trying to get out,” Hawkes explained.
“I know everyone will say Observer was the (unlucky) one, but he (Nepotism) was the best horse in the race and he just had no luck.”
This year’s Cox Plate could come up light on numbers, with Aeliana no certainty and Treasurethe Moment under a cloud after being turned over in the G1 Might And Power Stakes (2000m) on Guineas Day.
“You look at the Cox Plate and there’s only one horse and he really may be the X-factor and that’s Sir Delius. He could win the Cox Plate and he could win the Melbourne Cup. He could do a Saintly. He’s not as good as Saintly, because very few are, but you don’t have to be as good as Saintly.”
Hawkes also suggested defending Cox Plate champion Via Sistina may not be dominating to the same degree as in past campaigns, hinting her glittering career could be nearing its twilight.
Other options under consideration: the AAMI Vase and the Spring Champion Stakes.
