If he didn't think Samantha Miss could win the Cox Plate, trainer Kris Lees would keep her at home on Saturday.And if she doesn't win, it won't be for lack of dedication on the part of her trainer or Glen Boss who will be the lightest jockey Lees has legged up on a horse.Under the weight-for-age conditions of the Cox Plate (2040m) three-year-old Samantha Miss will carry just 47.5kg and after two weeks of "boot camp" on the part of Boss, she won't have to carry any excess.She is however carrying

If he didn't think Samantha Miss could win the Cox Plate, trainer Kris Lees would keep her at home on Saturday.

And if she doesn't win, it won't be for lack of dedication on the part of her trainer or Glen Boss who will be the lightest jockey Lees has legged up on a horse.

Under the weight-for-age conditions of the Cox Plate (2040m) three-year-old Samantha Miss will carry just 47.5kg and after two weeks of "boot camp" on the part of Boss, she won't have to carry any excess.

She is however carrying the hopes of many TAB punters who have backed her into outright favouritism ahead of New Zealand mare Princess Coup.

If he is feeling the pressure, Lees doesn't show it although he is well aware of the significance of a win which will make Samantha Miss the only filly apart from Surround in 1976 to claim the Cox Plate.

"It's a huge ask and a whole new ball game," Lees said.

"She is in uncharted waters and out of her comfort zone but I think this is the right time to test her.

"I'm sure she will appreciate the 2000 metres. She has worked around Moonee Valley twice and has been doing well in the stable.

"We don't know how good she is, we'll find out."

Samantha Miss became just the second horse to make a clean sweep of Sydney's four-race Princess Series which culminated in the Group One Flight Stakes (1600m) earlier this month.

Some of the fillies who finished behind her in those races also finished behind Gallica in the Thousand Guineas at Caulfield prompting a few questions about the form.

But Lees is happy enough, knowing she beat what was there.

Boss, who won the 2005 Cox Plate on Makybe Diva, said this week he was surprised at how well he felt after an intensive program which included boxing and several minuscule meals a day.

Apart from observing Boss on Samantha Miss in one of her Moonee Valley workouts, Lees has left the jockey to his own devices.

That workout was last Saturday and the trainer tried not to give too much away but was observed with a pretty big smile on his face.

Boss finds it hard to keep his emotions to himself and said the filly handled the circuit like a veteran.

"I was surprised how well she went," Boss said.

"She got up the hill to the turn really well and was on the right leg all the way.

"She just gave me such a great feel."

Boss replaced heavyweight jockey Hugh Bowman who has been the regular partner of Samantha Miss including when she beat Sebring to win the Champagne Stakes in the autumn.

All going to plan, he will be back when Samantha Miss runs in the VRC Oaks on November 6 for which she is the dominant favourite.

Princess Coup's jockey Opie Bosson arrived in Melbourne on Friday from New Zealand and walked the Moonee Valley circuit with four-time Cox Plate-winning rider Brent Thomson.

The mare arrived on Wednesday with trainer Mark Walker happy to keep her at home until the last possible moment.

Princess Coup spent last spring and much of the autumn in Australia and galloped more than once at the Valley in preparation for the Cox Plate.