Secret Admirer Hard To Fault Ahead Of Cox Plate

Fresh off her impressive victory in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap all eyes are on Secret Admirer as she moves towards the Cox Plate next Saturday at Moonee Valley.

Secret Admirer has been in tremendous touch this preparation but plenty still managed to miss her when she jumped at double figures from an outside draw 16 in the Epsom.

It was a tremendous victory after she settled at the back of the field before being worked up four and five wide with 600m to go.

As she came off the bend she was the widest runner but it was of no concern as she put nearly two lengths on the second placed Pinker Pinker.

That’s put her in a fantastic position for the Cox Plate, a race that’s shaping as one of the most even in recent memory.

Without the presence of a real standout favourite it’s hard to go past a form line that includes such a dominant Epsom win.

The only real question mark would be the switch from Sydney to Melbourne but trainer Grahame Begg says she’s having no problems coping with Moonee Valley.

“She went off very steady in her work…she ran about 23.70 the last 400m,” he said.

“We couldn’t be happier the way she’s come through everything.

“She glides around the turns beautifully.”

Begg was on a plane back to Sydney earlier this morning but says he will return for her final serious hit out early next week, most likely at the ‘breakfast with the best’ function.

“She’s only got to do one more bit of work, we don’t have to but I think we will go across on Tuesday,” he said.

Secret Admirer has had four starts so far this prep beginning with the Toy Show Quality back in August.

She finished a tight second to Red Tracer in that event before moving on to finish second again, this time to Sincero, in the Tramway Handicap.

After that it was a luckless fourth in the Tramway Stakes before her Epsom Handicap triumph.

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