Mark Kavanagh said he was comfortable with his decision to miss Saturday's $3 million Cox Plate at Moonee Valley with star three-year-old Whobegotyou who will instead contest the Group Two AAMI Vase.There has been a lot of conjecture about whether or not the impressive Bill Stutt Stakes and Caulfield Guineas winner should have gone on to the Cox Plate, but Kavanagh has stood firm."He wouldn't mentally have been able to cope with it when they turned the bunsen burner on at the 800 metres," he sai

Mark Kavanagh said he was comfortable with his decision to miss Saturday's $3 million Cox Plate at Moonee Valley with star three-year-old Whobegotyou who will instead contest the Group Two AAMI Vase.

There has been a lot of conjecture about whether or not the impressive Bill Stutt Stakes and Caulfield Guineas winner should have gone on to the Cox Plate, but Kavanagh has stood firm.

"He wouldn't mentally have been able to cope with it when they turned the bunsen burner on at the 800 metres," he said.

Kavanagh said he was looking for longevity with the Street Cry gelding who has raced six times for four wins and a second.

"If I run him in the Cox Plate and he breaks down, we get nothing," he said.

"I'm very comfortable with my decision. The Moonee Valley Racing Club will be running the race next year and we might be back for it then.

"He has trained on really well since winning the Guineas and if he runs as we expect tomorrow it will be all systems go to the (Victoria) Derby.

Whobegotyou is a dominant favourite at $1.45 with TAB Sportsbet fixed odds for the AAMI Vase which is run over the same 2040m trip as the Cox Plate but is a set weights event for three-year-olds.

He is the $2.25 favourite for the $1.5 million Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday week.

AAMI Vase winners to go on to win the Derby are Raveneaux (1986), Blevic (1994), Helenus (2002), Plastered (2004) and Efficient (2006).

The Peter Snowden-trained Sousa, the last start six-length winner of the Group One Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) on a slow track at Randwick on October 4, is not nominated for the Derby but is considered the main danger to Whobegotyou tomorrow at $4.50.

Stutt Stakes third placegetter Carnero is at $9 with Dulcify Stakes runner-up Emperor Bonaparte best of the rest at $16.