Sydney’s premier trainer Chris Waller is talking up the chances of Foreteller leading up to the 2013 Cox Plateat Moonee Valley tomorrow.
Foreteller and Craig Newitt after winning the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Waller is searching for his first maiden win in the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) and is anticipating Foreteller will be fighting out the finish at the end of a gruelling contest.
Even though Foreteller was a last minute inclusion in the 2013 Cox Plate field, Waller says that his multiple Group 1 winner has the form on the board to be very competitive.
“He deserves to be there,” Waller told Racenet.
“He’s already a Group One winner in Melbourne this Spring and his form around Atlantic Jewel, among other reasons, is enough to suggest that he’s good enough to be there.”
Waller had initially intended to save Foreteller for the Group 1 $1m Longines Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington next Saturday but after listening to jockey Craig Newitt after he rode the gelding in trackwork at Moonee Valley on Tuesday morning along with the fact that trainer Mark Kavanagh said that Atlantic Jewel wouldn’t run if the track was wet prompted him to change his mind.
Unfortunately for Kavanagh Atlantic Jewel, the short priced Cox Plate favourite, damaged a tendon in trackwork and had to be withdrawn from the field which opened the race up and gave Waller the result he was looking for.
“My thoughts were to avoid her if I could and run in the Mackinnon then I saw reports that she might be running in the Mackinnon so I thought if she was going to run there I might as well go for the Cox Plate and as it’s worked out we’re in the right race,” Waller said.
“I thought to myself, ‘we’ve come this far, it looks like it’s going to rain, the last thing we want is to save Foreteller from the Cox Plate, only to then run him against Atlantic Jewel in the Mackinnon.
“He’s a multiple Group 1 winner, he’s won a Group 1 this campaign, and run second to the best horse in Australasia (Atlantic Jewel) last start.”
Foreteller has mixed his form this Spring and after winning the Group 1 $350,000 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 7 second up was never in the hunt when twelfth to It’s A Dundeel in the Group 1 $400,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on September 21.
The Dansili seven year old then ran into Atlantic Jewel in the Group 1 $400,000 Cathay Pacific Caulfield Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on October 12 and finished second in a five horse field, albeit four lengths behind the glamour mare.
Foreteller is at the juicy odds of $26 in the 2013 Cox Plate market order which has It’s A Dundeel the $4.20 favourite just in front of Puisaane De Lune who has drifted slightly to $5.
The Gai Waterhouse trained Fiorente is also a slight drifter and is now at $6.50 just in front of Long John who continues to firm and is now marked at $7.
