Racing: Shoot Out to blaze away in the Valley

Jockey Stathi Katsidis. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Queensland trainer John Wallace regards star 4-year-old Shoot Out's first Moonee Valley start in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes today as pivotal to his spring campaign.

The Randwick Guineas and AJC Australian Derby winner is still in the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup but the Gold Coast trainer says he won't run in all three.

If he handles Moonee Valley and performs well against the likes of reigning Horse of the Year Typhoon Tracy and last year's Dato Tan Chin Nam winner Whobegotyou it would all but lock in the Cox Plate for the High Chaparral gelding.

"We'll have a look at the place [Moonee Valley] and then we can work out where we're going from there on," Wallace said on Thursday.

Wallace is yet to rule out the Caulfield Cup for Shoot Out, saying it is "still a chance".

"I would say he has more hope of going to the Cox Plate than the Melbourne Cup," he said.

Shoot Out goes into the Dato Tan Chin Nam fourth-up after wins in the Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) and Liston Stakes (1400m) before a tough effort for third to So You Think in the Memsie Stakes (1400m), all at Caulfield.

Shoot Out split Whobegotyou (runner-up) and Typhoon Tracy (fourth) in the Memsie and Wallace was delighted with the way he finished off the race after being ridden up closer to the pace than usual to keep in touch with those horses.

Jockey Stathi Katsidis said that wouldn't happen again. "He'll be getting a lot further back in the field from now on because all he wants to do is relax," Katsidis said. "He's really looking for more ground now."

The Dato Tan Chin Nam has been a good guide to the Cox Plate with eight horses completing the double since 1975, the latest being El Segundo in 2007.

Shoot Out is sharing favouritism with Typhoon Tracy at A$2.80 with TAB Sportsbet ahead of Whobegotyou at A$3.10 in what is considered a race with only three winning chances.

* Fresh from a winning treble on her home turf at Randwick last Saturday, Gai Waterhouse is set to carry the hopes of punters on Theo Marks Stakes Day at Rosehill today.

Glamour mare More Joyous has been installed the A$2.40 favourite for the feature event, while exciting staying prospect Herculian Prince is the even-money favourite in the Kingston Town Stakes (2000m).

Waterhouse also has leading chances in the Listed Heritage Stakes (Halekulani) and Research Stakes (Montana Flyer), along with Zutara (Bacardi Breezer Hcp), unbeaten Pureness (Soft As Soap Hcp) and last-start winner Stratofortress (Tony And Manera Lahood Hcp).

- AAP