The barriers are out for Saturday's Cox Plate at Flemington, with Aeliana and Sir Delius sharing favouritism and Land Legend's connections choosing the outside gate.
The barriers are set for Saturday's $6 million Cox Plate, and the draw on Tuesday night threw up one clear talking point: the connections of Might And Power winner Land Legend, whose name came out first, chose barrier 12 – the widest gate in the field of 12.
The 106th running of the weight-for-age championship is being held over 2040m at Flemington this year, with Moonee Valley closed for its redevelopment. That makes it the first Cox Plate run away from the Valley, and some of the usual barrier rules of thumb may not apply on the wider, more galloping track.
The final field and barriers
- Birdman (1) – Ben Melham, Chris Waller
- Warwoven (2) – Rachel King, Bjorn Baker
- Ceolwulf (3) – Chad Schofield, Joseph Pride
- Attrition (4) – Jamie Mott, Mitchell Freedman
- Sir Delius (5) – Craig Williams, Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
- Saint George (6) – Blake Shinn, Ciaron Maher
- Middle Earth (7) – Mark Zahra, Ciaron Maher
- Cosmic Crusader (8) – William Pike, Andrea Leek
- Blind Raise (9) – Jamie Melham, Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
- Aeliana (10) – James McDonald, Chris Waller
- Light Infantry Man (11) – Harry Coffey, Ciaron Maher
- Land Legend (12) – Ethan Brown, Ciaron Maher
Who drew well?
Sir Delius looks to have landed nicely in barrier 5, and after the draw he and Aeliana were sharing favouritism. Golden Rose and Caulfield Guineas winner Warwoven is close behind them in the market and drew barrier 2, which should give Rachel King plenty of options. He's trying to become the first three-year-old to win the race since State Of Rest in 2021.
Aeliana has more work to do from barrier 10, but she has James McDonald aboard, and he's chasing a fifth Cox Plate in a row. A win for Aeliana or Birdman would also give Chris Waller his seventh Cox Plate, drawing him level with T.J. Smith as the most successful trainer in the race's history. Gai Waterhouse, with Adrian Bott, is still looking for her first.
The speed map
Land Legend led all the way in the Might And Power and is expected to roll forward again from the outside, with stablemate Light Infantry Man (11) also likely to be up near the speed. Ben Melham said after the draw that he expects a genuinely run race and sees the rail as the shortest way home for Birdman. Jamie Melham is happy to be drawn just inside the speed on Blind Raise and is looking to ride him positively.
The punting angle
With Ciaron Maher running four, and two of them likely to push forward, a fast tempo looks likely. Weigh that up before backing anything that has to do the work in front. A true pace usually suits horses that can sit just off it and finish strongly, and the strong 2040m at Flemington will test stamina more than the tight Moonee Valley circuit did.