A sparkling track gallop by Racing To Win at Moonee Valley yesterday has jockey Glen Boss in a positive frame of mind ahead of Saturday's A$3 million ($3.4 million) Cox Plate.
Boss was more than happy with the way the Cox Plate equal favourite performed at yesterday's Breakfast With The
Best trackwork session at Moonee Valley, when he defeated stablemate Primus, a noted smart trackworker.
The John O'Shea-trained Racing To Win galloped over 1600m in 1:52.43 and finished a half-length in front of Primus, running the last 400m in 23.68.
"He did exactly what I wanted him to do and he pulled up perfectly, which is most important," Boss said.
Boss said Primus was O'Shea's best trackworker and that's why it was significant Racing To Win was able to beat him.
"There were some encouraging signs, he was quite comfortable," Boss said.
"I'm going into this race as confident as I can possibly be but you don't go into a race like this thinking it is all over because you can get your butt kicked."
O'Shea also took Racing To Win to the Valley for a "look around" on Saturday morning when he worked with Primus, but he was out for a more serious hit-out yesterday morning.
Caulfield trainer Mick Price also brought his two Cox Plate runners Pompeii Ruler and Red Dazzler to the Valley where they worked solo with Craig Newitt aboard and both impressed.
Pompeii Ruler, who was narrowly touched off by Casual Pass in the Yalumba Stakes at Caulfield last start, is yet to race at the Valley but galloped well over 1600m in 1:48.36, his last 400m in 23.39.
Last start Toorak Handicap winner Red Dazzler, a winner at the Valley, is yet to race beyond 1600m but also worked very well covering 1600m in 1:47.39, the last 400m of the workout in 23.39.
Newitt, who resumes from a month's suspension today, will ride Pompeii Ruler in the Cox Plate, while Jim Cassidy stays with Red Dazzler.
Colin Little elected to keep Cox Plate equal favourite El Segundo at home at Caulfield for his work instead of taking him back to the Valley where he put in a stunning gallop on Saturday.
El Segundo has won over the Cox Plate trip (2040m) at the Valley and Boss was impressed with his rival's gallop on Saturday morning, saying he deserved to be the favourite.
Price was happy with his pair but said El Segundo was clearly the horse to beat.
"He looked back to the El Segundo of old on Saturday morning. He was fantastic," Price said.
El Segundo was the beaten odds-on favourite at his latest appearance when third in the Yalumba.
* Lastest NZ TAB Cox Plate odds:
$3.25 El Segundo, Racing To Win; $7.50 Miss Finland; $9 Grey Swallow; $11 Lad Of The Manor; $13 Fields Of Omagh.
$16 Pompeii Ruler, Aqua D'Amore; $18 Our Smoking Joe; $20 Red Dazzler, Casual Pass; $25 Zipping, Apache Cat, Excites; $35 Rewaaya
$50 Super Kid, Maybe Better, Activation; $60 Primus, Undue, Bentley Biscuit; $80 Imperial Stride, Honor In War; $100 Grand Zulu, Mnemosyne, Churchill Downs, Polar Bear.
$150 Danever, Roman Arch, Temple Hills, Anamato; $200 Molotov, Cargo Cult; $250 He's No Pie Eater.
- AAP
Glen Boss works Racing To Win during the Breakfast With The Best yesterday. Mark Dadswell / Getty Images
A sparkling track gallop by Racing To Win at Moonee Valley yesterday has jockey Glen Boss in a positive frame of mind ahead of Saturday's A$3 million ($3.4 million) Cox Plate.
Boss was more than happy with the way the Cox Plate equal favourite performed at yesterday's Breakfast With The
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