We seem to say it every year, but what a mouth-watering contest this Cox Plate promises to be. Every year there’s an angle, something unusual, or a combination of factors that make it hard to know where to look. This year we have the somewhat unusual feature of only one horse (Mr Brightside) having previously run in a Cox Plate.
You’ve also got six of the nine horses having their first start at Moonee Valley – by virtue of the fact we have two internationals having their first start in Australia, a three-year-old that has done most of his racing in Sydney, while Chris Waller usually targets Flemington with his horses when he comes to Melbourne. The three horses that have raced at the Valley before, Mr Brightside, Pride of Jenni and Evaporate, absolutely love it – they have a combined record of 11 starts for 7-3-0. For more previews, best bets, bookmaker comparisons and more, head on over to Roar Racing.
Saving the international runners until last, Pride of Jenni is the market-elect of the Australians as this is being written, and we know everything there is to know about her now. She will set the Valley alight with her bold front-running style, just as she has done to every racetrack in the last 12 months since becoming the force she is. Pride of Jenni has been to 2000m twice this year – the first time was in the Australian Cup when she just got nailed by Cascadian in the shadows of the post, but beat third by two lengths.
The second time was in the Queen Elizabeth,.
