After the running of the Turnbull Stakes there is little doubt the word "stranglehold" applies to the grip So You Think has on this years WS Cox Plate. When a 9yo, racing second up, can beat the likes of Shoot Out, Typhoon Tracy, Shocking and Metal Bender you have to wonder about their ability to oust the favourite in the big race, barring injury or severe interference.If the race was to be run tomorrow I would be backing So You Think at $2.50 for the win and Whobegotyou for the place

After the running of the Turnbull Stakes there is little doubt the word "stranglehold" applies to the grip So You Think has on this years WS Cox Plate. When a 9yo, racing second up, can beat the likes of Shoot Out, Typhoon Tracy, Shocking and Metal Bender you have to wonder about their ability to oust the favourite in the big race, barring injury or severe interference.

If the race was to be run tomorrow I would be backing So You Think at $2.50 for the win and Whobegotyou for the place at $2.25 and being a fraction greedy I would take the exacta as well. As a small saver bet I would have to back Zipping at $3.75 for the place however all of this is two weeks ahead of the main event and we all know how fickle racehorses can be. A really speculative punter could gamble on improvement from Linton, whose run 2nd up over 2040m in the JRA Cup was an extremely positive effort at the track where the Cox Plate is run. At $13.50 for the place the bet may not be such a wild investment.

This Saturday So You Think will clash with Linton, Whobegotyou and More Joyous in the 2000m wfa Yalumba Stakes. I haven't seen a market for the race but I am assuming So You Think will be odds on around $1.50/$1.60. This raises an interesting speculative point. Would it be better to back So You Think at $2.50 inthe Cox Plate now or back him in the Yalumba Stakes and then go all up the return in the Cox Plate? If we assume $1.50 this week and a punter has $100 for the win the return will be $150 which will go on at about $2.00 for the Cox Plate for a return of $300 which equates to 2/1 for the double. Those calculations are based on receiving $2.00 in the Cox Plate however if SYT was $1.50 in the Cox Plate the return would be $225.

It's all about speculation and odds, isn't it.