Can Victoria Road give Aidan O'Brien another brilliant win in the Cox Plate?
The Aidan O'Brien team is confident Victoria Road can provide them with more Cox Plate (7.10) glory when he tackles Australia's most prestigious weight-for-age contest at Moonee Valley on Saturday morning.
The three-year-old bids to give O'Brien his second victory in the Ladbrokes-sponsored Group 1 contest after landing it in memorable fashion with Adelaide nine years ago. He is the only European-trained runner in the field of 12.
A top-level winner in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last year, Victoria Road disappointed on his comeback when seventh behind Ace Impact at Deauville in August, but improved to finish third in the Group 2 Dullingham Park Stakes at Leopardstown last month.
TJ Comerford, travelling head lad for O'Brien, told Racing.com: "He hasn't missed a beat since he's got here. He's doing everything right, we couldn't ask for any more of him.
"It's very hard to judge a European horse against the Australian horses and obviously against the Hong Kong horse [Romantic Warrior], but we're happy with our lad. I wouldn't swap him for anything."
O'Brien added: "He obviously had a hold up early on in the year but the plan has always been the Cox Plate for him. He's had his two runs and we were delighted with the way he progressed from Deauville to Leopardstown. We hope he can progress again and TJ [Comerford] and Derek [Stamp], who are down there with him, have both been very happy with how he has been moving."
His rivals include star Hong Kong performer Romantic Warrior, who bids to give his nation a major success abroad in the Cox Plate.
Romantic Warrior and James McDonald team up again in the Cox Plate
A three-time Group 1 winner, he finished fourth on his Australian debut in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington this month and will once again be partnered by James McDonald. The pair teamed up to win the FWD QEII Cup at Sha Tin in April.
"He's come on nicely with good improvement, so we're hopeful," McDonald said. "There'll be no excuse if he's beaten – if he's beaten, he'll be beaten fair and square.
"I think he's on song, I really do. We're definitely progressing. He's definitely going much better than he was going into the Turnbull."
The Australian contingent is headed by Alligator Blood, with the seven-year-old bidding for a third Group 1 on the bounce and an eighth top-level success of his career.
Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, he finished fifth in the Cox Plate behind Anamoe last year but comes into the race this time in sparkling form following wins in the Underwood Stakes and Might And Power at Caulfield.
Mr Brightside's five-race unbeaten run came to an end when second to Fangirl in the inaugural King Charles III Stakes at Randwick this month, and the duo face off again.
Fangirl bids to provide Chris Waller with his first Cox Plate success since the great Winx landed the last of her four wins in the contest in 2018. The trainer is also represented by Militarize.
Last year's Melbourne Cup hero Gold Trip bids to add another illustrious race to his record. He beat Romantic Warrior in the Turnbull Stakes three weeks ago and makes a quick return after finishing third in the Caulfield Cup last Saturday.
The Manikato Stakes (6.20) is the other Group 1 race on the card, with the Mark Walker-trained Imperatriz set to face six rivals as she bids for a seventh top-level success.
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