Fiorente firing and ready to strike at Moonee Valley

It's a wide-open Cox Plate but Ray Thomas believes Fiorente has the perfect form to win the weight-for-age classic at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

Plate speed

$3 MILLION COX PLATE (2040M), MOONEE VALLEY, SATURDAY

1 44x59 GREEN MOON (IRE) Robert Hickmott Brett Prebble 12 59kg

2 x5741 HAPPY TRAILS Byron Cozamanis Dwayne Dunn 2 59kg

3 3x614 FIORENTE (IRE) Gai Waterhouse Blake Shinn 15 59kg

4 x8102 FORETELLER (GB) Chris Waller Craig Newitt 9 59kg

5 4x73x SIDE GLANCE (GB) Andrew Balding Craig Williams 1 59kg

6 x0091 SEVILLE (GER) Robert Hickmott Hugh Bowman 10 59kg

7 00x20 REKINDLED INTEREST Jim Conlan Mark Zahra 6 59kg

8 x1272 PUISSANCE DE LUNE (IRE) Darren Weir Ben Melham 8 59kg

9 8x032 MASKED MARVEL (GB) Robert Hickmott Michael Rodd 5 59kg

10 1528x MULL OF KILLOUGH (IRE) Jane Chapple-Hyam Steven Arnold 4 59kg

11 12x41 IT'S A DUNDEEL (NZ) Murray Baker James McDonald 13 57.5kg

12 x3493 SUPER COOL Mark Kavanagh Corey Brown 14 57.5kg

13 x1121 ATLANTIC JEWEL Scratched 7 57kg

14 x3131 LONG JOHN Peter Snowden Kerrin McEvoy 11 49.5kg

15e x2723 SHAMUS AWARD Danny O'Brien Chad Schofield (a) 3 49.5kg

THE BIG-RACE DOUBLES

Caulfield Guineas-Cox Plate: Red Anchor (1984) Surround (1976) Rajah Sahib (1968) Star Affair (1965)

Tomorrow: Long John

Turnbull Stakes-Cox Plate: 9 includes Makybe Diva (2005) Northerly (2002) Better Loosen Up (1990) Dulcify (1979) Tobin Bronze (1966) Rising Fast (1954), Comic Court (1950).

Tomorrow: Happy Trails

The Metropolitan-Cox Plate: Beau Vite (1940)

Tomorrow: Seville

Underwood Stakes-Cox Plate: Ocean Park (2012) So You Think (2010) Northerly (2002/01) Almaarad (1989) Rubiton (1987) Bonecrusher (1986), So Called (1978), Tobin Bronze (1966), Aquanita (1962), Ray Ribbon (1956), Ajax (1938), Young Idea (1937), Phar Lap (1931), Highland (1928), Heroic (1926).

Tomorrow: It's A Dundeel

Dato Tan Chin Nam (Feehan) Stakes-Cox Plate: El Segundo (2007) Northerly (2001) Sunline (2000) Better Loosen Up (1990) Rubiton (1987), Strawberry Road (1983), So Called (1978), Rising Fast (1954).

Tomorrow: Fiorente

ATC Australian Derby-Cox Plate: Bonecrusher (1986) Strawberry Road (1983) Kingston Town (1980) Dulcify (1979), Phar Lap (1930).

Tomorrow: It's A Dundeel

VRC Australian Cup-Cox Plate: Makybe Diva (2005) Northerly (2001) Saintly (1996) Dulcify (1979)

Tomorrow: Super Cool

THE TRAINERS

No trainer represented in the Cox Plate tomorrow has won the race previously. The training record is held by the late Tommy Smith with seven Cox Plate wins from champions Redcraze (1957), Tulloch (1960), Gunsynd (1972), Kingston Town (1980-81-82) and Red Anchor (1984).

THE JOCKEYS

Craig Williams, rider of Side Glance, is chasing his third Cox Plate after wins on Fields Of Omagh (2006) and Pinker Pinker (2011).

The only other jockey riding in tomorrow's race to have won a Cox Plate previously is Steven Arnold (Mull Of Killough) who won on champion So You Think (2010).

The riding record of five is held by Darby Munro with Rogilla (1933), Young Idea (1937), Mosaic (1939), Beau Vite (1941) and Hydrogen (1952).

THE FAVOURITES

The Cox Plate is invariably won by the best horse and favourites do have a very good record in the race.

Over the last 30 years, 11 favourites have won including most recently Might And Power (8/11, 1998), Sunline (11/8, 2000), Northerly ($4ef, 2002), Makybe Diva ($2, 2005) and So You Think ($1.50, 2010).

The longest-priced winner in this period was Dane Ripper at 40/1 in 1997.

THE DISTANCE

It's A Dundeel is a two-time winner at Group 1 level over 2000m in the Spring Champion Stakes and Rosehill Guineas. Green Moon excels at 2000m, winning four of his eight attempts at the trip including the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes.

Foreteller is a two-time winner at 2000m including the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes. Super Cool has also won twice at this distance.

Happy Trails, Fiorente, Rekindled Interest, Puissance De Lune and Mull Of Killough have also won at 2000m.

THE SPECIALIST

The only horses to win over the Moonee Valley 2040m are Rekindled Interest in the 2010 Vase and Super Cool in the 2012 Vase.

Rekindled Interest also won the 2011 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes over 1600m here. Happy Trails (2012) and Fiorente (2013) are also Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes winners.

Plate speed

THE SPEED MAP

There is no noted frontrunner in the Cox Plate although there is expected to be a rush to the first turn as Long John (10) and Super Cool (13) are expected to work across from their wide barriers.

English gallopers Side Glance (one) and Mull Of Killough (four) should take full advantage of their inside barriers and push forward early as will Happy Trails (two).

Cox Plates are usually stamina-sapping tests but once the field turns out of the straight the first time, the pace may slacken unless the likes of Green Moon push forward.

UNDERWOOD STAKES, CAULFIELD, OCTOBER 21

It's A Dundeel was magnificent as he gave Atlantic Jewel the only defeat of her 11-start career. It's A Dundeel stalked the favourite all the way and just edged past the mare on the line.

Atlantic Jewel then won the Caulfield Stakes effortlessly while minor placegetter Dear Demi ran third in the Caulfield Cup franking the form.

Happy Trails was a close fourth and then won the Turnbull Stakes while Puissance De Lune (seventh) was sound. Green Moon (ninth) and Foreteller (12th) were well beaten.

TURNBULL STAKES, FLEMINGTON, OCTOBER 5

Happy Trails, winner of the Emirates Stakes last spring, was back to Group 1-winning form when he showed a great will-to-win to score a narrow win.

Puissance De Lune had dashed with what appeared a winning lead inside the final 200m but he could not hold Happy Trails, Fawkner hit the front at the top of the straight but not surprisingly could not sustain his advantage to the line and finished a very good third. Fawkner then came out and won the Caulfield Cup.

Fiorente's effort to finish powerfully from last on the turn for a luckless fourth was the run of the race.

AND THE BIG-RACE VERDICT IS

Fiorente's form this spring - and at every Australian start he has had - has been outstanding. He circled the field and just kept coming to win the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes then ran a blinder for fourth in the Turnbull Stakes behind Happy Trails after being held up for long periods of the straight.

Cox Plates are not for the faint-hearted, you need tough stayers to win this race and remember Fiorente did run second in the Melbourne Cup last year. If he is within striking distance of the lead on the turn, Fiorente is capable of finishing over the top of his rivals.

It's A Dundeel is an absolute star. He is a bulldog in a tight finish as he has proven winning the Spring Champion Stakes last spring when he ran down Proisir, and more significantly when he became the only horse to beat Atlantic Jewel in that memorable Underwood Stakes showdown last month.

It's A Dundeel has had a well-publicised setback since and it is difficult to win Cox Plates on an interrupted preparation but his trainer Murray Baker is a genius and the horse has is already a proven big-race performer with five Group 1 wins.

Long John comes off a very tough Caulfield Guineas win. He had to rally under pressure at Caulfield, which he did magnificently, and he was strong on the line.

The 2040m won't trouble him and he will be up on the speed making his own luck. He has the ability to mix it with the older horses.

Puissance De Lune is yet to win at Group 1 level - but he's getting close. He dashed to the front and looked home in the Turnbull Stakes but could not hold off the late surge of Happy Trails.

With a more forgiving race surface tomorrow, Puissance De Lune is definitely one of the main chances.

Green Moon started favourite in the Cox Plate last year yet is likely to go to the post about a $20 chance. Tough stayer and he is a Group 1 winner at 2000m.

Happy Trails is very honest and continues to be underrated, Foreteller has excellent weight-for-age form, and Rekindled Interest is a track specialist.

RAY'S TIPS

1 FIORENTE

2 It's A Dundeel

3 Long John

4 Puissance De Lune

Best roughie

Green Moon