Star US galloper out of Cox Plate contention

US Grade 1 winner Carl Spackler will not be making the trip to Australia for the upcoming spring, with his owners at Yulong deciding to keep the talented galloper based in Europe for now.

Yulong’s chief operating officer Sam Fairgray confirmed on Tuesday morning that the decision had been made in the best interests of the horse’s long-term development, despite Carl Spackler being rated a $15 shot in futures markets for the Cox Plate at The Valley.

Since being acquired from the United States following his Group 1 win in the Maker’s Mark Mile (1600m) at Keeneland in April, Carl Spackler had joined the stable of Ciaron Maher.

However, the gelding has yet to find his best form in his new surroundings, finishing sixth in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot behind Docklands, and again finishing sixth — this time in a seven-horse field — in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood last week.

“He’s come through the run OK, but for now we’ll likely leave him in Europe,” Fairgray told RSN927.

“There was a plan in place for him to travel down for the Cox Plate, but we feel it’s best to give him time to acclimatise and work on getting him back to peak form.”

Despite Carl Spackler being ruled out, Yulong still has a strong hand for the Cox Plate this year with reigning champion Via Sistina heading the early betting at $2.50, and Treasurethe Moment a prominent $8 contender.

Punters looking to back the key runners in this year’s Cox Plate can explore the latest markets on trusted Australian betting sites.