Horse racing: Cox Plate drama as New Zealand-bred galloper could be forced from iconic race

Globe led throughout to win the Might And Power race at Caulfield last start but is in doubt for Saturday's Cox Plate.

One of the Kiwi hopefuls in Saturday’s Ladbrokes Cox Plate could miss the A$6 million ($6.8m) classic even after his connections paid a mammoth late entry fee.

New Zealand-bred Globe burst into the field for the iconic weight-for-age race after winning the Group 1 Might And Power race at Caulfield, his owners electing to pay a A$200,000 late entry to get him into this week’s 2040m thriller.

But he is now not certain to start after an inconclusive veterinary examination undertaken by Racing Victoria.

And leading trainer Mick Price says he will happily scratch Cox Plate hopeful Globe if he is not 100% fit by Saturday.

“He had to do a Sleip test. It’s a video of their action,” Price told Racing.com.

“Racing Victoria contacted [Michael Kent] Junior late yesterday [Monday] and said on half of the test, the horse wouldn’t pass. I’ve contacted the owners and let them know.

“He’s down the beach this morning [Tuesday].

“They’ll come Thursday, have a look at it. They usually ... say ‘we might come Friday, we might leave it to Saturday morning’.

“The horse does have an irritation in the off-front fetlock. If that horse is not right, I’m not happy with him, I’m not going to run him.

“We X-rayed it. It’s bone-clean, but the joint capsule has an irritation where it attaches to the bone. It’s more a soft-tissue thing.

“On Saturday morning, if the horse is not 100%, he won’t run.”

Globe could be a key pace influence in a Cox Plate that lacks a natural leader at a good tempo and if he does come out, that will leave only eight starters and the potential for a messy race.

The market for the great race is dominated by defending champion Via Sistina, who is $2 to win again on Saturday after smashing the race and track record in stunning fashion last year.

Via Sistina galloped solidly at The Valley’s Breakfast with the Stars on Tuesday morning with none of the drama of last season.

On that occasion, she stumbled, dislodged New Zealand jockey James McDonald and galloped two full extra laps of The Valley before she was caught.

Even after that, she was able to return four days later to record one of the most remarkable wins in the history of the Cox Plate.

Via Sistina has drawn ideally at barrier five for Saturday, giving her room to settle into her stride without any concerns about getting locked away and McDonald will be able to move on her when he chooses, rather than having the tempo of the race dictated to him.

Even if Globe has to be pulled out of the Cox Plate, the race will still have a strong New Zealand presence away from Via Sistina being ridden by McDonald and trained by Waller.

Both the second- and third-favourites, Antino and Aeliana, are New Zealand-bred horses looking to double down for the local breeding industry after the enormous success at last Saturday’s Randwick meeting.

That was where the A$20m Everest was won by New Zealand-raised Ka Ying Rising, the A$5m King Charles saw a New Zealand-sourced trifecta and Linebacker won the A$1m Silver Eagle.

Ladbrokes Cox Plate

What: Australasia’s greatest weight-for-age race.

Where: The Valley, Melbourne.

When: This Saturday.

Distance: 2040m.

The money: A$6 million

Who: Many of Australia’s best horses headed by defending champion Via Sistina

Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.