Ruling favourite Lys Gracieux has been given the visitor’s draw after barriers were taken in the final field for the 2019 Group 1 $5m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on Saturday.
Black Heart Bart, above, was paid up as a late entry for the 2019 Ladbrokes Cox Plate at The Valley. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The two times Group 1 winning Japanese champ Lys Gracieux drew barrier fifteen in the original draw of the final fourteen horse Cox Plate field plus four emergencies, but will jump from gate eleven if all four reserves fail to gain a start.
Damian Lane has been booked to ride Lys Gracieux in the Cox Plate and he is looking for another big payday teaming up with a Japanese trained galloper after winning last Saturday’s Group 1 $5.15m Stella Artois Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield for the Hisashi Shimizu trained Mer De Glace.
Lys Gracieux is the current $3.60 favourite for the Cox Plate at Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of the Tasmanian champ Mystic Journey at $7.50 and Ladbrokes Stakes winner Cape Of Good Hope at $8.50.
Mystic Journey drew perfectly at barrier six and is likely to jump from gate five with regular rider Anthony Darmanin in the saddle while the Lindsay Park trained import Cape Of Good Hope drew in the middle of the pack at eight.
Mark Zahra rode Cape Of Good Hope to victory in the Group 1 $1m Ladbrokes Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on October 12 and has retained the mount in the Cox Plate.
New Zealand’s Cox Plate hope Te Akau Shark was also given the visitor’s draw and will jump from the outside gate when the field is reduced to the final fourteen on race morning.
Top Kiwi jockey Opie Bosson is back aboard Te Akau Shark, replacing James McDonald who steered the Kiwi into second place behind Kolding in the Group 1 $1m Epsom (1600m) at Randwick on October 5.
McDonald will ride the Chris Waller trained Verry Elleegant who came up with barrier five in the original draw.
Castelvecchio is the only three year old in the Cox Plate field and drew in close at barrier four with Craig Williams wasting to get down to the colt’s allotted weight of 49.5kg.
Williams is very happy the Richard Litt trained colt has drawn in close and is giving Castelvecchio a great lightweight chance.
“The committee has selected because of his form, he is a Group 1 winner and he will be a great chance in the race,” Williams told Racenet.
“I love the fact that I had my first ride on him this morning and he got around The Valley really well. I had a feel for him and he will come into barrier three which is a perfect barrier for him.”
Connections of six times Group 1 winner Black Heart Bart paid a $200,000 late entry fee to secure a spot in the Cox Plate and the nine year old drew barrier eleven in the original draw with Brad Rawiller booked to ride.
Betting for the 2019 Cox Plate at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.60 Lys Gracieux, $7.50 Mystic Journey, $8.50 Cape Of Good Hope, $11 Avilius, $12 Castelvecchio, $15 Danceteria, Kluger, Tw Akau Shark, $16 Homesman, $17 Magic Wand, $19 Verry Elleegant, $21 Kings Will Dream, $31 Humidor, Mr Quickie, $41 Black Heart Bart, Gailo Chop, $81 Dream Castle, $101 Harlem.
Final field and barrier draw for the 2019 Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m)
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 96870×8012 | BLACK HEART BART | Lindsey Smith | Brad Rawiller | 11 | 59kg | 117 |
| 2 | 11511×4214 | AVILIUS (GB) | James Cummings | Kerrin McEvoy | 7 | 59kg | 119 |
| 3 | x984x42x8x | KLUGER (JPN) | Tomokazu Takano | Tommy Berry | 9 | 59kg | 117 |
| 4 | x4719x0063 | HARLEM (GB) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Dwayne Dunn | 2 | 59kg | 116 |
| 5 | 6x2172x126 | HOMESMAN (USA) | Liam Howley | Ben Melham | 16 | 59kg | 116 |
| 6 | 43236Px581 | KINGS WILL DREAM (IRE) | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 17 | 59kg | 115 |
| 7 | 14x111x222 | TE AKAU SHARK (NZ) | Jamie Richards | Opie Bosson | 18 | 59kg | 118 |
| 8 | 594x13141x | DANCETERIA (FR) | David Menuisier | Jamie Spencer | 10 | 59kg | 115 |
| 9 | 8x212x231x | LYS GRACIEUX (JPN) | Yoshito Yahagi | Damian Lane | 15 | 57kg | 119 |
| 10 | x2x5322022 | MAGIC WAND (IRE) | Aidan O’Brien | Ryan Moore | 3 | 57kg | 114 |
| 11 | x3x14083x1 | CAPE OF GOOD HOPE (IRE) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Mark Zahra | 8 | 56.5kg | 117 |
| 12 | 1x1111x125 | MYSTIC JOURNEY | Adam Trinder | Anthony Darmanin | 6 | 55.5kg | 119 |
| 13 | 7x2111x941 | VERRY ELLEEGANT (NZ) | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 5 | 55.5kg | 115 |
| 14 | 11331×472 | CASTELVECCHIO | Richard Litt | Craig Williams | 4 | 49.5kg | 115 |
| 15e | 17333×0005 | HUMIDOR (NZ) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Blake Shinn | 14 | 59kg | 113 |
| 16e | 112131×300 | MR QUICKIE | Phillip Stokes | Glen Boss | 12 | 57.5kg | 114 |
| 17e | 112142×037 | GAILO CHOP (FR) | Matthew Williams | Damien Oliver | 1 | 59kg | 113 |
| 18e | 0x111050x9 | DREAM CASTLE (GB) | Saeed Bin Suroor | Patrick Cosgrave | 13 | 59kg | 116 |
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