Flemington will host a historic running of the Cox Plate this year.
The 106th iteration of the Moonee Valley Racing Club’s premier event is being held away from its usual home at The Valley due to ongoing track reconstruction.
Saturday’s 2040m weight-for-age championship presents a fascinating contest, and discussions have arisen this week regarding whether the Cox Plate has assembled its most formidable field to date.
Given the ongoing rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne racing, it’s possible the Cox Plate is lacking some key contenders due to the Golden Eagle taking place the following Saturday. Nevertheless, it is shaping up to be a memorable race, as is tradition.
Ciaron Maher is aiming for his second Cox Plate victory, having previously won the race in a training partnership with David Eustace, with Sir Dragonet in the restricted 2020 edition.
Maher’s stable has four contenders this year: Light Infantry Man, Land Legend, Middle Earth, and Saint George. A notable moment occurred when Land Legend was the first horse drawn for a barrier.
Instead of selecting a favourable middle draw, Land Legend’s connections opted for the outermost barrier, with Maher detailing the rationale behind this decision.
“There will be more pressure in the Cox Plate,” Maher stated.
“He will be there, but he’s got to get there in his own time, otherwise he lights up.
“I wanted to be outside Blind Raise and Light Infantry Man, and then when we came out first, I said to take the outside.
“I’m happy he’s there. He’ll end up running pretty solid sectionals, the same as Pride Of Jenni, and if he can get the first three furlongs right, it helps the rest of the race.
“If he runs to what he did last time, he will be competitive, and there isn’t any reason why he shouldn’t.”
Light Infantry Man, who drew directly inside Land Legend, will be steered by Harry Coffey, who partnered him to his second Australian Cup win in March.
“He’ll be right there, on speed,” Maher commented.
“He thrives on a good tempo as his best races are when he’s raced Jenni.
“He was super last start and he’s ready to run a huge race, and the harder the race, the better, and 2000 metres, at Flemington, is ideal.”
Both Saint George, who drew second, and Middle Earth, who drew ninth, are coming off runs in the Caulfield Cup with aspirations of contesting the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 3.
Both runners will be equipped with blinkers for Saturday’s race.
Last year, Maher also backed up Middle Earth from the Caulfield Cup, following a similar finishing position, to race in the JRA Cup on the Cox Plate program over 2040m at The Valley.
“He ran his usual race last start, and I think he had the best sectionals through the line,” Maher remarked.
“Caulfield, he doesn’t like, but I had to run him and back to the 2000 metres, we’ve put blinkers on, as he needs to find a little bit.
“Saint George, the Caulfield Cup was great.
“We’ve put the blinkers on, to make him that little bit more responsive and he needs a firm deck, so hopefully it doesn’t rain.
“He bounced out of his Caulfield Cup run. It wasn’t a very taxing run at all. He sat there and sprinted down the straight.”
Consider the racing odds for the Cox Plate at Australian betting sites.