On Track Magazine Spring 2021

11 The reigning champion and winner of Cox Plate 100 Sir Dragonet will be back to defend his crown, as will his rider Glen Boss who will be looking to join Darby Munro as the equal most successful jockey in Cox Plate history with five wins in the race. The Dragon proved his Cox Plate success was no fluke during the autumn, bolting in with the Tancred Stakes by over two lengths. The International cohort consists of just two this year, but they are both highly talented animals. Gold Trip, now under the care of last year’s winning trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, boasts strong form in France, running fourth in the time- honored Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He will gain the services of fall of fame jockey Damien Oliver, who won the Cox Plate on Dane Ripper in 1997 and Northerly in 2001. The Irish connection of Joseph O’Brien and Johnny Allen will combine with Group 1 Saratoga Derby winner State Of Rest, and he looks to have settled into his new surroundings sensationally. The son of Starspangledbanner showed an elite turn of foot to win in the US, and he should handle The Valley with great aplomb, having already shown brilliance at the hard left-turning track. Aidan O’Brien became the first international trainer to win the Cox Plate with Adelaide in 2014 – and son Joseph will be looking to emulate his father’s feats, having already won two Melbourne Cups. While Verry Elleegant and Probabeel hold the key to New Zealand’s success in recent times, the unsung hero from the land of the long white cloud could be Callsign Mav. The tough five-year-old gelding is a three-time Group 1 winner in his own right, and his ability to sit on speed and absorb the pressure cooker of a Cox Plate could be telling. Trainer John Bary dared to dream after Callsign Mav’s first-up win, and he is well invested in his mount at lucrative odds of 100-1. While the above runners look to have a sizeable hold on this year’s Ladbrokes Cox Plate, the chances certainly don’t end there. South Australia’s Dalasan has come agonizingly close to winning a Group 1 on many occasions, and he is a walk-up starter into the field. Peter Moody’s Incentivise could still be bound for the Weight-For-Age Championship after he runs favourite in this week’s Caulfield Cup and other promising juveniles Captivant, Forgot You and Lightsaber also remain in the mix. The greatest two minutes in sport is set to deliver in spades yet again this year, and angles are plenty as we approach Saturday 23 October. With still a lot of water to go under the bridge, I think Zaaki will bounce back and solidify his position amongst the world’s elite – giving James McDonald and Annabel Neasham their very first major. The 2021 Ladbrokes Cox Plate