Sacred Falls Best Backed Of Waller’s Cox Plate Runners

Sacred Falls is currently available at 2014 Cox Plate odds of $6 and he has been the best-backed of the three Chris Waller-trained runners in the field for the Group 1 event at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

Sacred Falls has been one of the best-backed runners in 2014 Cox Plate betting markets. Photo by: Steve Hart

Sacred Falls has been one of the best-backed runners in 2014 Cox Plate betting markets. Photo by: Steve Hart

Sacred Falls opened on the second line of Cox Plate betting markets when the final field was released on Tuesday and he quickly drifted out to $6.50, but has been backed into $6 again in the past 24 hours.

The O’Reilly entire was the only one of Waller’s three runners that fared poorly at the Cox Plate barrier draw on Tuesday and he will need a bit of luck from barrier nine, but Waller believes that the expected hot tempo will be an advantage for Sacred Falls and help him find a comfortable midfield position in the early stages of the race.

“Sacred Falls has barrier nine, but he is a get back midfield type of a horse anyway and Zac Purton is a just a gem with these big race rides as he prove last Saturday when he didn’t panic and won the Caulfield Cup,” Waller said.

“With there being a lot of speed he should jump and slot in midfield.

“They will be deadset flying; you have The Cleaner, you have the three-year-olds in there and other horses to put the pressure on them.”

Sacred Falls stamped himself as a genuine Cox Plate contender when he finished his 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign with a win in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 12 and a second place finish in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at the same venue on April 19 and he has remained towards the top of Cox Plate betting markets throughout the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival.

The five-year-old returned to the races with a fourth place finish in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on August 23 and was fourth again in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) before he scored his maiden win at weight-for-age level in the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on September 20.

Sacred Falls was sent to Melbourne for the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on October 11 and jockey Zac Purton was forced to settle the five-year-old at the tail of the field, but he was able to make up good ground late to finish.

Fawkner is available at 2014 Cox Plate odds of $4.20 and remains a narrow favourite from Sacred Falls ($6), Adelaide ($6.50) and Criterion ($8).

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.