Mark Kavanagh will decide after trackwork on Tuesday whether Cox Plate favourite Whobegotyou will back up against stablemate and reigning Cox Plate hero Maldivian in the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield.Kavanagh has been mulling over whether to start Whobegotyou in Saturday's Group One feature over 1800 metres or go three weeks between runs and start the four-year-old in the Group One Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 3."He's got to be backed up somewhere along the line," Kavanagh sa

Mark Kavanagh will decide after trackwork on Tuesday whether Cox Plate favourite Whobegotyou will back up against stablemate and reigning Cox Plate hero Maldivian in the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield.

Kavanagh has been mulling over whether to start Whobegotyou in Saturday's Group One feature over 1800 metres or go three weeks between runs and start the four-year-old in the Group One Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 3.

"He's got to be backed up somewhere along the line," Kavanagh said.

Whobegotyou is now the $3.20 top pick for the Cox Plate with TAB Sportsbet with Maldivian at $16.

The Flemington trainer said if both horses run in the Underwood, stable jockey Michael Rodd will be on one of them.

But with Damien Oliver committed to riding Caulfield Cup favourite Vigor on Saturday and Steven King aboard Predatory Pricer, the ride on the other horse is up for grabs.

Rodd, who tore ligaments in a wrist in a trackwork accident in late July, has been back riding trackwork for a week and will resume race riding at Sandown on Wednesday with two mounts including the Kavanagh-trained Definitely Ready.

Oliver has ridden Whobegotyou in two of his three races this preparation including his impressive length victory over Mic Mac when he wore blinkers for the first time in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) on Saturday at Moonee Valley where the Cox Plate is run.

King had the mount when Whobegotyou ran second to Mic Mac two starts back in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

Kavanagh said Maldivian had pleased him since his first-up 13th behind Swift Alliance in the Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1200m) at Flemington last Saturday week.

Ridden by Oliver, the seven-year-old jumped awkwardly and was last at the 400 metres but passed two other runners to be beaten 6-1/4 lengths.

"I'm playing catch-up with him but he should be right by Saturday," Kavanagh said of Maldivian whose spring preparation, aimed towards another crack at the Cox Plate, was delayed by a torn back muscle.

"Maldivian's preparation will be taken on a run-to-run basis to get him to where he has got to be and that doesn't mean that the Caulfield Cup is out of the question, but there is also the Coongy Handicap that day which is now the David Jones (Cup)."

The Zabeel gelding ran ninth behind All The Good in the Caulfield Cup (2400m) before winning the Cox Plate a week later with blinkers on for the first time.

Kavanagh has kept last month's impressive first-up 1200m Caulfield winner Raffaello fresh for Saturday's Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) and he will be ridden by Rodd.

Meanwhile star filly Black Caviar will miss the Group One Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 14 with trainer Peter Moody now aiming her for the Group One Coolmore Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on October 31.

Black Caviar tore chest muscles when she began awkwardly in her victory over stablemate Wanted in the Group Two Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington last Saturday week.

The three-year-old, unbeaten in four starts, missed a week of work but Moody had her exercising on a water-walker on Monday morning.