Boss Still Confident Kermadec Can Win Cox Plate

Kermadec missed the placings in the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday, but jockey Glen Boss remains confident that the four-year-old can win the 2015 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 24.

Keramdec will press on to the Cox Plate after he finished fourth in the 2015 Caulfield Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

Keramdec will press on to the Cox Plate after he finished fourth in the 2015 Caulfield Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

Kermadec stamped himself as Cox Plate favourite when he scored a fast-finishing win in the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Caulfield on October 10, but trainer Chris Waller indicated that he wanted to see the Teofilo entire perform well over 2000 metres in the Caulfield Stakes to show that he was worthy of a place in the Cox Plate field.

The two-time Group 1 winner started the Caulfield Stakes as a clear favourite and Boss elected to ride him conservatively in the early stages of the race before he was taken to the outside of the field coming around the final turn.

Kermadec was on the back of Criterion and Happy Trails at the 400 metre mark and he was unable to go with the duo when they sprinted but he was still able to find the line fairly to finish a credible fourth.

Boss received some criticism for his ride on Kermadec, but he believes that he was left with no option but to ride the four-year-old conservatively and he told Racing Ahead that there were plenty of merit in the Caulfield Stakes run heading into the 2015 Cox Plate.

“I’ve heard there have been people criticizing my ride, but I have looked at that race many times and if I went forward there was only ever going to be one place I was going to be and that was three wide,” Boss said.

“I didn’t want that scenario and I didn’t want to get to the 100 metres and have my horse fade because I was three wide in an eight horse field and we walking away not knowing anything.

“I walked away from the race knowing the answer to my question – he can run 2000 and he can run it strong and now he just needs to go to Moonee Valley with a bit of jar out of that track because his best form is definitely with a little bit of cut in the ground.

“I am still very confident that he can win a Cox Plate.”

Kermadec is currently available at 2015 Cox Plate odds of $6.50 with Ladbrokes and he is on the second line of betting behind Criterion ($5.50).

You can find the best odds for the Cox Plate and all the other races during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival with leading online bookmaker Ladbrokes.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.