Jockey Nick Hall has been delighted with the 2014 Cox Plate lead-up form of Fawkner and he is confident that the talented gelding can deliver him a maiden win in the Australasian Weight-For-Age Championship at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Nick Hall has developed a strong bond with 2014 Cox Plate favourite Fawkner and he believes that the seven-year-old is the horse to beat in the Group 1 race. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Fawkner delivered Hall the biggest win of his riding career to date when he took out the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) last year and the Reset gelding is taking even better form into the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m).
The seven-year-old had just one race start in the autumn, finishing a credible seventh in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 21, and he started his 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a tight second behind Dissident in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 13 before returning to winning form in the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) on October 11.
Hall has been thrilled with both of Fawkner’s race starts this preparation and he is looking forward to partnering the talented gelding in the Cox Plate this weekend.
“He has had a perfect preparation,” Hall told TVN.
“He has taken the next step now and I think that he is in for his best season and that is what happens out at Lloyd’s; he doesn’t race them until they are older and that is why they are better when they are older.”
Fawkner has shown amazing versatility during his racing career to date and he has recorded race wins from 1400 metres right up to 2400 metres, while being ridden with a number of different racing patterns.
Hall has positioned Fawkner close to the speed in both the Makybe Diva Stakes and Caulfield Stakes, but he believes that there is no set way to ride the two-time Group 1 winner and he will have no set plan heading into the Cox Plate.
“He is a really diverse horse,” Hall said.
“I don’t think that there is a better way to ride him, so I will just ride him according to the race.
“The race is going to have good pressure anyway, it is a Cox Plate, The Cleaner is in it and you would imagine that he would be back off in that second wave and hopefully hitting the line.”
Fawkner is available at 2014 Cox Plate odds of $4.20 and he remains a clear favourite from Sacred Falls ($6), Adelaide ($6.50) and Criterion ($8.50).
