Cox Plate Contender Adelaide Settles In Well

Leading 2014 Cox Plate contender Adelaide arrived in Australia on Saturday and connections are happy with the way that the talented entire has settled in at the Werribee International Equine Centre.

Ryan Moore has been booked to ride Mount Athos in the 2014 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 25. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Ryan Moore has been booked to ride Mount Athos in the 2014 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 25. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Adelaide was one of five European-trained 2014 Spring Racing Carnival contenders that flew into Australia on Caulfield Guineas Day, along with star sprinter Slade Power, Johnny Murtagh-trained Royal Diamond and the OTI Racing-owned duo of Au Revoir and Gatewood, and stable representative Thomas Comerford told Racing.Com that the Galileo entire had come through the lengthy trip to Melbourne without any issues.

“He travelled over very well,” Comerford said.

“He started off in Ireland and he flew to England to join all the other runners coming here with the second batch coming to Australia.

“He drank plenty and for the few kilos that he lost he had them back on by yesterday.

“He is very good.”

Adelaide has done plenty of racing during the 2014 Northern Hemisphere season and the Coolmore team are confident that he will head into the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at peak fitness.

The four-year-old started his 2014 campaign with a second place finish in the Group 2 Prix Hocquart (2200m) at Longchamp on May 11 before he took out the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes (2011m) at Curragh on May 25.

Adelaide was beaten as favourite in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes (2414m) during the 2014 Royal Ascot Meeting and was second again in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (2011m) on July 5 before he return to winning form in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes (2011m) at Arlington on August 16.

The well-travelled galloper returned to Europe and produced another strong performance in the Group 2 Prix Niel (2400m) at Longchamp on September 14, which Comerford believes has brought the talented entire on for the Cox Plate.

“He is fit and ready to go, so we are not going to do too much with him,” Comerford said.

“At the moment we are very happy with him.

“He went out on the track just to have a little look around; he just trotted and today he had a little canter around.”

English Jockey Ryan Moore has not had a great deal of success in Australia during his riding career, but he has been booked to ride Adelaide in the Cox Plate.

Adelaide remains well-fancied in the 2014 Cox Plate betting market with Ladbrokes Australia and he is available at odds of $9 to become the first European-trained winner of the race.

About The Author

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.