Chris Waller goes into the Cox Plate confident he has all bases covered.
And he says his three runners – Kermadec, Preferment and Winx – have earned the right to be at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Kermadec, to be ridden by Glen Boss, shares the second line of betting at $6 with Criterion behind the $5 favourite, Irish raider Highland Reel.
Hugh Bowman’s mount Winx is the second pick of Waller’s runners at $6.50 with Preferment a $14 chance to be ridden by Hong Kong-based Nash Rawiller.
“They’ve reached the top but they’ve got to get above that to win a Cox Plate,” he said.
“Each and everyone one of them needs to go to a new level.”
Waller said the three horses were different with Kermadec the perfect Cox Plate horse.
He said Kermadec was a strong middle-distance galloper which puts himself into his races.
Waller described Winx as the `wow’ horse which can reel off amazing sectionals, saying no horse could beat her over 1600m.
He said Preferment was the tough grinding Cox Plate horse and if it turns out to be a gruelling affair the four-year-old would come into his own.
“If they walk and sprint I think Winx could come over the top,” Waller said.
“If it’s a genuinely run Cox Plate, Kermadec could win it and if it’s a tough affair then Preferment will be in there for the fight.”
All three horses had their final Cox Plate workouts at Moonee Valley on Tuesday after galloping at the track on Thursday.
Waller said he returned on Tuesday so he couldn’t use the track as an excuse for defeat on Saturday.
“To me it’s a pretty easy track for them to get around once they’ve been here once or twice,” he said.
“The track is perfect and hopefully it’s the same on Saturday.”
Waller said the Cox Plate was the grand final for both Kermadec and Winx with Preferment to press on to the Melbourne Cup start.
