HALL of Fame trainer Gai Waterhouse caused a shock yesterday when she paid a late-entry fee of $130,000 to have Epsom Handicap winner Rock Kingdom included in the Cox Plate field, reports the Sydney Morning herald.It says: Waterhouse, who will also have group 1-winning three-year-old Manhattan Rain in the $3 million weight-for-age championship, is chasing her first Cox Plate triumph and Rock Kingdom attracted instant support when TAB Sportsbet added the gelding to the market yesterday afternoon.

HALL of Fame trainer Gai Waterhouse caused a shock yesterday when she paid a late-entry fee of $130,000 to have Epsom Handicap winner Rock Kingdom included in the Cox Plate field, reports the Sydney Morning herald.

It says: Waterhouse, who will also have group 1-winning three-year-old Manhattan Rain in the $3 million weight-for-age championship, is chasing her first Cox Plate triumph and Rock Kingdom attracted instant support when TAB Sportsbet added the gelding to the market yesterday afternoon. ''We opened him up at $26 but there was plenty of interest in him and he is already in to $21,'' TAB Sportsbet's Glenn Munsie said.

Waterhouse's racing manager, Robyn Hartney, said Rock Kingdom, which followed its Epsom victory with a Toorak Handicap placing, was an ideal Cox Plate horse.

''He makes his own luck and that is important in a race like the Cox Plate,'' Hartney said. ''The $130,000 is a lot of money to pay, but prizemoney is paid down to eighth placing - so if he can finish there or higher, he will earn at least $100,000 of it back. We are pretty positive about running in the top eight at least.''

Nash Rawiller, brother of Caulfield Cup-winning jockey Brad Rawiller, has been booked to ride Rock Kingdom after he got a clearance to jump off Nom Du Jeu.

That has paved the way for Michael Rodd, who won the Cox Plate on Maldivian last year, to take the ride on Nom Du Jeu. Rodd had elected to ride Maldivian over stablemate and favourite Whobegotyou, only for Maldivian to break down with a tendon injury and be retired last week .

''Last week I was without a ride, and now I'm on a horse that is in with some sort of a chance,'' Rodd said yesterday. ''He is an AJC Australian Derby winner and any rain around this week will be to his benefit.''