Green Moon is the Cox Plate tip for co-owner Nick Williams. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Green Moon is on top of the 2013 Cox Plate tips for co-owner Nick Williams who will also have Masked Marvel and Seville in the Group 1 race at Moonee Valley this Saturday.
Fresh off their maiden success in the Caulfield Cup with Fawkner, the Macedon Lodge team is chasing their first ever victory in the Cox Plate and Williams is confident that all three of his charges are good enough to win the race, especially now that glamour mare Atlantic Jewel has been withdrawn from the field.
Williams was full of praise for Atlantic Jewel at the Cox Plate barrier draw this morning but said that 2012 Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon was the pick of his three runners in the race.
“I think our horses will run well but I have this feeling that Atlantic Jewel will do a Sunline,” Williams said.
“I think that she is a superstar and she will street them.
“Green Moon is probably the pick of them; he has the score on the board but I think the other two will run really well as well.”
Green Moon started his 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a promising fifth behind Atlantic Jewel in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) and finished ninth in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) but his preparation hit a speed bump when he was ruled out of the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) after suffering a fever.
Williams said that the son of Montjeu has recovered well from the minor issue and will go into Saturday’s Cox Plate at full fitness.
“He is absolutely perfect,” Williams said.
“He had a big gallop on Saturday morning and just as a precaution we took blood from him yesterday to make sure that everything was just fine after being under a lot of pressure and he is just fine and ready for the race.”
While Williams’ Cox Plate Tip is Green Moon, Seville and Masked Marvel both head into the Australasian Weight-For-Age Championship in excellent form.
Seville broke through for his first Australian victory in the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Royal Randwick on October fifth and Masked Marvel finished second behind Honorius in the Group 3 Craven Plate (2000m); with Williams confident that either could win the Cox Plate if the race is won to suit.
“If this was a strongly run race none of our three would surprise me,” Williams said.
“Our three will run fantastic races and they are ready for this race.
“We are due an ounce of luck in it and maybe we will get it this year.”
Green Moon was also on top of Williams’ Cox Plate tips for the 2012 edition of the race but the six-year-old had no luck in running and finished seventh behind Ocean Park.
