Secret Admirer is targeting the Cox Plate this year

Grahame Begg used the avenue of Twitter to confirm overnight that Secret Admirer will be headed on a Cox Plate path in pursuit of her third Group 1 title.

The four year old mare won in devastating fashion last start to claim the Epsom Handicap title ahead of a gun field of horses.

She made them look second rate as she stormed home over the final two furlongs and established herself as an instant Cox Plate hope.

Begg wasn’t going to be rushed into a decision though saying he had to be sure she came through the race in good order.

“We wanted to wait to see how she came through the Epsom,” he said.

He says in terms of the race he couldn’t be happier and he knew he was the winner well before the line.

” She had them covered by the 200m, I think she made a very quick dash form the 400m to the 200m,” he said.

Begg also said that while he wasn’t concerned with the wide barrier early on, as she rounded the bend he was on edge as to whether or not she’d push on.

“I have no issues with horses drawing outside at the mile handicap at Randwick, they get clear running and they’re not looking to work their way through the field,” he said.

“I was a bit surprised mid way though when she was four or five wide.”

With that done and dusted now it’s on to the Cox Plate where Begg says she’ll likely handle the Moonee Valley track better than if she went to the Caulfield Cup.

“I feel like a lot of horses from Sydney seem to handle Moonee Valley a lot better than Caulfield,” he said.

He also points out the fact that Moonee Valley has a tendency to not dry out as fast as some other venues.

“Track surface is probably more important than anything,” he said.

Secret Admirer will make her trip to Melbourne this weekend to give her plenty of time to get accustomed to the track.

“She leaves here on Sunday night, fast work Sunday morning…get into Melbourne on Monday,” he said.

“Certainly we’d like to have some experience there (Moonee Valley) prior to running in the Cox Plate.”

As for whether or not she’d be a feature at the annual breakfast with the stars function in the week before the Cox Plate Begg says he was still undecided.

“It’s probably not the preferred option, they do get a very big crowd there…I’m not sure if that’s exactly ideal,” he said.

Secret Admirer won her first Group 1 a year ago in the Flight Stakes and has an overall career record of eight starts for three wins and four placings.