Tulloch At Short Odds For Cox Plate Today

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29342, 22 October 1960, Page 6

Tulloch At Short Odds For Cox Plate Today

(N.Z. Brass Association— Copyright)

MELBOURNE, October 21. Tulloch will consolidate his place as outright Melbourne Cup favourite if he wins the £5500 Cox Plate, over 10 furlongs at weight-for-age, at Moonee Valley tomorrow. Tulloch will be up against a crack field, including the New Zealand gallopers Howsie and Ma Cherie, the Queensland stayer Grand Garry, and the well-fancied Melbourne Cup candidates Dhaulagiri and Valerius. Another starter, the A.J.C. Derby winner Persian Lyric, may be ridden by R. Hutchinson, who has returned to Victoria from a successful season in Ireland. Tulloch meets the field on more than a stone better terms than in the Melbourne Cup. The Cox Plate is three-quarters of a mile shorter than the Melbourne Cup. Tulloch’s last win, the Craven Plate, was the same distance as the Cox Plate.

The little New Zealand mare, Ma Cherie, has had three races in Australia, in the seven-furlong Tramway Handicap, the 10-fur-long Rosehill Cup and the mile Epsom Handicap. In the Rosehill Cup, she ran a close fourth, then, in the Epsom, ran away to win by five lengths.

Grand Garry has galloped well this week and may be approaching his best form, but he has not been a weight-for-age horse so far.

Another Cox Plate candidate, Valerius, one of Sydney’s best horses, ran third in the 10-fur-long Craven Plate to Tulloch and Persian Lyric, and, on the Saturday before, beat Tulloch in the one mile and a half Colin Stephen Stakes.

The run will be a useful cup preliminary for the New Zealand horse Howsie, but. he may require more distance. Howsie galloped a mile in Imin 42jsec on the sand yesterday, and if he runs up to that form should go close to winning the Cox Plate. Among the three-year-olds is the Sydney horse. Sky High. He ran second in the Guineas to Lady Sybil, third in the Derby to Persian Lyric after leading most of the way, second in the 10-fur-long Rosehill Guineas to Wenona Girl and third in the 9-furlong and 47yd Canterbury GuinMg, also to Persian Lyric. Dhaulagiri ran a great race in

the one mile and a half Caulfield Cup, in spite of lack of, racing. At his previous start, the Wednesday before, he deadheated with Lord for the 9-furlong Caulfield Stakes.

Bookmakers today made Tulloch the Cox Plate favourite at fractional odds against. Earlier in the week he was odds-on for the race, but his defeat by Grand Garry in the record mile gallop at Moonee Valley yesterday in Imin 441 sec, and the fact that he he has the extreme outside barrier position. No. 15, has caused him to ease. The trainer, T. J. Smith, said that he was not worried about the three-year-olds beating Tulloch, but he expects the danger to eome from Dhaulagiri and Valerius. The trainer Frank Dalton is a little worried about Valerius on the small Moonee Valley track. Dalton said that Valerius was a big horse and a big strider. But Phar Lap won two Cox Plates—in 1930 and 1931—and he was a very big strider. ’ Pre-post bookmakers have the Sydney three-year-old Sky High second favourite and Dhaulagiri third favourite.

Only Nightmarch, Phar Lap, and Rising Fast have won the W. S. Cox Plate-Melbourne Cup double in the same year. Delta won the Cox Plate but not in the same year as his Melbourne Cup. Hall Mark, whish won the Cup in 1933, ran second in the Cox Plate the following two years. Comic Court, which won the Cup in 1950, ran second in the Cox Plate the following two years. Comic Court,' which won the Cup in 1950, ran second to Delta in the 1949 Cox Plate.

In the £4500 Moonee Valley Gold Cup tomorrow the New Zealand stayer Olive Branch will be ridden by his Caulfield Cup jockey, N. Sellwood, and not by Hutchinson as was announced earlier.

Olive Branch, Gaybao and Mac are equal favourites for the Cup at each-way odds, but any one of them could start favourite on the course. \ The South Australian jockey. W. Pyers, will have the mount on Mac, Alan Burton will ride Gaybao. and W. Williamson will ride the South Australian stayer Moon Bridge in the Cup.