News

Whobegotyou set for another crack at Cox Plate

4th Aug 2011

Herald Sun - Adam Hamilton - Wednesday, 3 August 2011

STAR weight-for-age galloper Whobegotyou is on target for a third crack at the Tatts Cox Plate.

The six-year-old is the last of the "big three" still racing for trainer Mark Kavanagh through a fairytale phase where Shocking won a Melbourne Cup and Maldivian snared a Cox Plate.

Whobegotyou pulled up lame when sixth to So You Think in the 2009 Cox Plate then ran a mighty race when a late-closing third to the same horse last year.

"Last year's Cox Plate run was probably the best of his career," Kavanagh said.

"He loves Moonee Valley and it's logical to set him for another go at the Cox Plate this spring.

"I very much doubt he'll have So You Think to contend with this year, so that's a plus. But it's still early days and a new star could emerge before then."

Whobegotyou is unbeaten in five starts at Moonee Valley outside of his Cox Plate runs. But Kavanagh concedes a tough 2040m around the Valley stretches Whobegotyou.

"He's won over 2040m at the Valley and run second over 2500m at Flemington, but his absolutely ideal race would be a Group 1 weight-for-age mile ... sadly there aren't any of them in the spring," he said.

Whobegotyou will have a jumpout at Flemington on Friday.

"He's probably two or three weeks away from a first-up run, but the jumpout will tell me more," Kavanagh said.

Another of his leading spring contenders, December Draw, will also have a jumpout on Friday.

The import looked terrific winning both his Australian runs at Flemington - over 1600m on May 7 and over 2000m on May 21 - before having a break.

"He's given us a reason to be optimistic," Kavanagh said.

"But it should be said he's still not qualified for the (Melbourne) Cup. It's a fair difference from winning races at Flemington in May to doing it in November."

Kavanagh's other major spring hopeful, lightly-raced sprinter Shrapnel, will return later.