HEARTS IN MOUTHS AS COX PLATE DRAWS NEAR
Hearts will be in the mouths of race followers around the world as Winx goes after her fourth consecutive win in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley.
Only a tiny minority – mainly those with a vested interest in her rivals – will be wanting Winx to be beaten.
While sentiment will certainly be with her, now as a seven-year-old, she is hardly an attractive betting proposition at the prevailing odds of $1.22.
Interestingly the last time Winx started in black figures was in the first of her Cox Plate triumphs in 2015.
In her 23 races since the super star has started at odds on and, more often than not, has been at a prohibitively short quote.
Last year, when she held a late challenge by Humidor, she was sent out at a $1.18.
While Winx has been racing in her usual inimitable style there are signs that Humidor will perform just as well or even better than he did 12 months.
Darren Weir will be using blinkers on Humidor for the first time this spring and he is going into this 98th renewal on a more favourable preparation than last year when he ran in the Caulfield Cup (2400m) on the preceding Saturday.
As a result he should be even sharper this time considering his most recent outing was two weeks ago in the Caulfield Stakes, over 2000m, when he was a strong finishing third to Benbatl and Blair House.
Benbatl, who is trained by Saeed bin Suroor and races in Godolphin’s royal blue, fought back tenaciously to score at Caulfield and his appearance indicates he has benefitted from the race.
He is obviously a horse of high quality with three of his seven victories being in Gr.1 events.
In March he bolted away with $6 million Dubai Turf (1800m) at Meydan – with his Cox Plate jockey Oisin Murphy aboard – and subsequently won the Dallmayr Preis (2000m) at the elite level in Munich on July 29.
It is also significant that Benbatl who will be in the forefront of proceedings and difficult to pass, is clearly a superior performer to Folkswood, who finished third behind Winx and Humidor.
Taking everything into account Benbatl can be expected to beat Humidor home again.
Although he is dropping back in distance from his brave win in The Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington on October 6 and is on a Melbourne Cup path the import Avilius must be given respect.
He showed promise when prepared in France by Andre Fabre and has won at each of his four Australian starts in the care of James Cummings.
He is obviously a weight-for-age horse of the future.
Rostropovich, who like trainer Aidan O’Brien’s 2014 winner Adelaide is a northern hemisphere three-year-old, proved himself a classy two-year-old and has progressed since.
A horse who races on the speed he won in Gr.3 company over 2414m at Leopardstown at his start on September 15 and will have the services of Ryan Moore, who piloted Adelaide to his win, so that brings him into the frame.
The Weir stable’s Kings Will Dream produced a creditable effort when sixth in the Caulfield Cup after bungling the start but he was well beaten by Winx in the Turnbull and will be meeting her on 2.5kg worse terms.
Though he, like Humidor, will be fitted with blinkers.
Selections:
- Winx (6)
- Benbatl (1)
- Avilius (4)
- Humidor (2)
