Unbeaten mare Atlantic Jewel heads Betstar's opening market for the 2012 Cox Plate. While internationally-bred gallopers dominate the talk around the Cups, a clutch of home-grown stars are the key players in the early discussion surrounding Australia's weight-for-age championship to be run at Moonee Valley in October. Betstar is quoting $3.50 about Mark Kavanagh's star mare who hasn't raced since her scintillating autumn campaign in Sydney which included her Grp 1 victory in the All-Aged Stakes,
Unbeaten mare Atlantic Jewel heads Betstar's opening market for the 2012 Cox Plate. While internationally-bred gallopers dominate the talk around the Cups, a clutch of home-grown stars are the key players in the early discussion surrounding Australia's weight-for-age championship to be run at Moonee Valley in October. Betstar is quoting $3.50 about Mark Kavanagh's star mare who hasn't raced since her scintillating autumn campaign in Sydney which included her Grp 1 victory in the All-Aged Stakes, her seventh win from as many starts. Betstar's Alan Eskander told PPD: "She has the potential to be our next Black Caviar...We've all heard how glowingly Mark Kavanagh and Michael Rodd (her regular rider) talk about what she does off the racetrack and we've seen what she can do in races. She made Mosheen look second-rate in the Thousand Guineas and look what Mosheen did subsequent to that. If Atlantic Jewel has a trouble-free preparation, they'll be hard put to beat her.'
Doncaster winner More Joyous is on the second line of Cox Plate betting at $8 followed by stablemate Pierro and Mosheen at $9. Alan Eskander says More Joyous is the obvious danger to Atlantic Jewel. He points out: "More Joyous could lay claim to being the Horse of the Year last season after her autumn campaign, especially the way she disposed of Manighar in the Queen Elizabeth. If she returns in the spring in that kind of form, 'Look out, Atlantic Jewel!'