No excuses! Brisbane trainer Robert Heathcote is supremely keen on the chances of his slick sprinter Buffering in Friday night's Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley. 'There'll be no excuses if he doesn't win,' he says.Flemington trainer Danny O'Brien is thrilled with the progress of former French stayer Prairie Star and the horse will now go to the $1 million Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington on Saturday week. O'Brien told TVN that Prairie Star will tackle the Melbourne Cup if he comes through

No excuses! Brisbane trainer Robert Heathcote is supremely keen on the chances of his slick sprinter Buffering in Friday night's Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley. 'There'll be no excuses if he doesn't win,' he says.

Flemington trainer Danny O'Brien is thrilled with the progress of former French stayer Prairie Star and the horse will now go to the $1 million Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington on Saturday week. O'Brien told TVN that Prairie Star will tackle the Melbourne Cup if he comes through the Mackinnon okay. O'Brien says: 'He came through his first run for us in great shape and he's gone on since and keeps on improving.'

Southern Speed, last year's Caulfield Cup winner, will run in Sat's $3 million Cox Plate but trainer Leon Macdonald says she won't be a starter in the Melbourne Cup.

LATEST COX PLATE MARKET FROM BETSTAR

Race 8 - 5:15PM Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040 METRES)
Of $3,000,000.1st $1,800,000, 2nd $440,000, 3rd $220,000, 4th $130,000, 5th $110,000, 6th $100,000, 7th $100,000, 8th $100,000 GROUP 1
Standard Weight for Age, Three-Years-Old and Upwards, Apprentices cannot claim.

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 2x32132x17 SHOOT OUT Chris Waller Hugh Bowman 4 59kg 116...$19.00
2 97x454x153 SINCERO Stephen Farley Michael Rodd 12 59kg 114...$26.00
3 2010x47x49 GLASS HARMONIUM (IRE) Michael Moroney James McDonald 2 59kg 110...$41.00
4 2120x1x521 GREEN MOON (IRE) Robert Hickmott Craig Williams 5 59kg 112...$5.00
5 33x625x030 REKINDLED INTEREST Jim Conlan Dwayne Dunn 1 59kg 111...$26.00
6 3x760x1x40 LINTON John Sadler Steven Arnold 14 59kg 108...$101.00
7 33446x1215 HAPPY TRAILS Paul Beshara Kerrin McEvoy 8 59kg 109...$51.00
8 3321x76 ETHIOPIA Pat Carey Rhys McLeod 6 57.5kg 108...$17.00
9 121282x111 OCEAN PARK (NZ) Gary Hennessy Glen Boss 9 57.5kg 114...$6.00
10 7x1111x114 MORE JOYOUS (NZ) Gai Waterhouse Nash Rawiller 11 57kg 125...$10.00
11 5255x31140 SOUTHERN SPEED Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas Luke Nolen 13 57kg 115...$26.00
12 x11111x112 PIERRO Gai Waterhouse Corey Brown 7 49.5kg 114...$4.40
13 1112x3541 ALL TOO HARD Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Chris Munce 3 49.5kg 111...$10.00
14 1112 PROISIR Gai Waterhouse Craig Newitt 10 49.5kg 102...$10.00

**Horses in bold type are best-fancied in the betting.