Blake Shinn picks up Cox Plate ride but outed Damien Oliver keeps Fiorente for Melbourne Cup

CUP FACTS/SPEED MAP: GAI Waterhouse has confirmed Blake Shinn as the replacement jockey for Damien Oliver on Fiorente in the Cox Plate next week.

GAI Waterhouse has confirmed Blake Shinn as the replacement jockey for suspended Damien Oliver on Fiorente in the $3 million Cox Plate at Moonee Valley next week.

But Oliver can breathe a little easier with the trainer confirming he will ride Fiorente in the Melbourne Cup - regardless of the Cox Plate result.

"Damien is booked for the Cup," Waterhouse said at Moonee Valley trackwork yesterday.

"It was disappointing to lose your jockey of choice for the Cox Plate - I was wondering why my phone was ringing hot (Wednesday) evening then I soon worked out 'Ollie' had been suspended."

Waterhouse was giving little away at the trackwork session but it is understood after consultation with Fiorente's owners late yesterday, Shinn has been rewarded with the prized ride.

Oliver, who was suspended for 12 meetings at Caulfield on Wednesday and will miss Cox Plate weekend, still made the trip to Moonee Valley early yesterday morning to partner Fiorente in a 1400m trackwork gallop.

Fiorente worked alongside stablemate The Great Snowman wide out on the course proper, the pair hitting the line together and recording 1m 43.43s for the trip, including a final 400m sectional of 24.06sec.

"Fiorente worked super," Waterhouse enthused. "He sat behind The Great Snowman early, picked him up and was very stylish to the post.

"I won't need to bring Fiorente over again next Tuesday, he will just 'shoot the breeze' now at Flemington over the next 10 days."

Oliver, who indicated he won't appeal and cop his suspension penalty on the chin, said Fiorente "felt great" during the gallop.

"He's holding his condition well and got around the track beautifully," Oliver said.

The Moonee Valley trackwork session also featured Puissance De Lune, who gave two galloping companions four lengths start over 1600m before reeling them in and beating Lake Sententia by a half length in 1m 48s with his final 400m in 23.69s, the best sectional of the morning.

Glen Boss said Puissance De Lune is now ready to "run the race of his life" in the Cox Plate.

"If you asked me to swap any horse there's absolutely no way I would I would swap this horse for any other going into the Cox Plate, simple as that," Boss said.

"He looks and feels where he should be right now. He's really trimmed up since I last saw him and he was dynamic out here.

"He's gone basically identical time to what Ocean Park did here last year, the difference being Ocean Park only ripped up half a mile so he's gone real good, a lot better, but he's a better horse."

England's Cox Plate hopefuls, Mull Of Killough and Side Glance go their first look at Moonee Valley yesterday and both handled the track like veterans.

Mull Of Killough, sporting conspicuous yellow bandages on his legs, worked solo over 1400m in 1min 45.64sec, the final 400m in 26.11sec.

Jockey Steve Arnold described Mull Of Killough as a "nice, kind horse, easy to ride."

"He had a good look around here today, which was to be expected, but fitness-wise he is spot on," Arnold said.

"He has solid form overseas and he will handle this track, I find the 'Valley', although it is a tight circuit, most horses get around it because of the cambers on the turns."

Craig Williams put Side Glance through his paces in a testing hitout, running 1min 35.1sec for 1400m (final 400m in 25.01sec).

Speed map

BURNING QUESTION No.1
How will the track be playing by Race 10?
The inside running at Caulfield invariably chops up through the day and jockeys then scout wide. If that’s the case then the outside draw of 16 for favourite Hawkspur may not be such a big disadvantage.

BURNING QUESTION No.2
Will the weights be a key factor?
Usually the winner of the Caulfield Cup comes from those down in the weights. Hawkspur, Royal Descent and Silent Achiever all ran well in the Turnbull and look well in.

BURNING QUESTION No.3
Has Lloyd Williams handed us a free tip by running just Fawkner?
Possibly. The quintet of runners Williams decided not to run would have all have been key players but instead he opted for Fawkner. Always a lot spoken about the horse as a youngster when raced over shorter distances but the camp believes the 2400m might just be his go.

BURNING QUESTION No.4
Is this a strong Caulfield Cup and will it be a good guide for the Melbourne Cup?
This hardly looks a stellar edition of the race with only two last-start winners - the imports Dandino and Forgotten Voice. With this in mind it may not be a great guide to this year’s Melbourne Cup. Other than Dandino, Ethiopia, Jet Away and Forgotten Voice it’s doubtful the others are good enough or can run out the 3200m.

CAULFIELD CUP — THE NUMBERS THAT MATTER
BARRIERS
The two most successful barriers are four and nine, drawn this year by My Quest For Peace (4) and Mr Moet, who will jump from nine after the scratching of Ibicenco.

In the past 20 years, only six Caulfield Cup winners have started from wider than barrier nine.

Dunaden defied the trend by jumping from gate 18 last year. Dear Demi has the outside this year, while favourite Hawkspur and Dandino have also drawn wide.

AGE
Four and five-year-olds have been the most successful in Cup history, with four-year-olds leading the way with 48 wins, followed by 5YOs (43), 6YOs (22), 3yos (15), 7yos (6) and 8yos (5).

There are three 4YOs in this year’s cup — Hawkspur, Royal Descent and Dear Demi — and three 5YOs — Silent Achiever, Ethiopia and Oasis Dream.

GENDER
Geldings have won nine of the past 20 cups.

There are 12 geldings in this year’s cup — Manighar, Ethiopia, Glencadam Gold, Mr Moet, Fawkner, Kelinni, Moriarty, Hawkspur, Julienas, Mr O’Ceirin, Tuscan Fire and Forgotten Voice.

Five mares have won in the past 22 years. There are four mares in this year’s Cup — Silent Achiever, Dear Demi, Royal Descent, Oasis Bloom.

FAVOURITES
Six favourites have won in the past 15 years, but none since Master O’Reilly in 2007. Since then, All The Good ($41), Viewed ($13), Descarado ($17), Southern Speed ($10) and Dunaden ($14) have triumphed at healthy odds.

Only seven horses in this year’s Cup are under $26 — Hawkspur ($4.40), Dandino ($7), Royal Descent ($7.50), Silent Achiever ($10), Jet Away ($11), Dear Demi ($13), Fawkner ($13).

WEIGHT
Only five horses have carried more than 54.5kg in the past 30 years and won the Cup. Dunaden (58kg) is the most recent exception.

Excluding the four emergencies, there are seven horses with 54.5kg or less in this year’s field — Hawkspur, Julienas, Mr O’Ceirin, Silent Achiever, Royal Descent, Tuscan Fire and Dear Demi.

BEST CAULFIELD FORM
Only three Cup contenders have won at Caulfield previously — Manighar, Jet Away, Mr O’Ceirin.

Six others have been placed — Ethiopia, Mr Moet, Fawkner, Tuscan Fire, Dear Demi, Oasis Bloom.

Dandino, Kelinni, Moriarty, Hawkspur, Julienas, Royal Descent and Forgotten Voice have never started at Caulfield.

BEST 2400M FORM
Manighar 11-5-2-1, Dandino 16-4-7-0, Ethiopia 1-1-0-0, Waldpark 4-1-1-0, Glencadam Gold 4-2-0-0, Kelinni 3-1-1-0, Moriarty 4-1-0-0, My Quest For Peace 8-3-1-0, Hawkspur 1-1-0-0, Julienas 4-2-2-0, Mr O’Ceirin 3-1-0-0, Silent Achiever 3-1-1-0, Royal Descent 1-1-0-0, Tuscan Fire 3-3-0-0, Forgotten Voice 1-1-0-0, Sneak A Peak 4-1-0-1.

INTERNATIONALS
Three internationals have won the Cup since 1998 — Taufan’s Melody, All The Good and Dunaden.

Dandino and first emergency Forgotten Voice are the only internationals entered this year.

HOT JOCKEYS
Damien Oliver has four wins and rides Jet Away, Craig Williams is aiming for his third successive win when he partners Dandino. Jim Cassidy has two cup wins to his credit and rides favourite Hawkspur. Dwayne Dunn (Mr O’Ceirin) is searching for a second win.

HOT TRAINERS
Gai Waterhouse and David Hayes are the only trainers involved with previous winners. Waterhouse is represented by Glencadam Gold and Julienas. Hayes has Jet Away. Bart Cummings holds the record with seven Cup winners, but has no runners this year.
Compiled by Leo Schlink and Michael Manley