Australia: Russian Camelot looks to rebound in Cox Plate

With a slightly battered reputation, Russian Camelot will start favored in Saturday’s Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Australia in a final prep for the Melbourne Cup on Nov. 3.

At times in recent months, Russian Camelot has been at the top of the future book for the Melbourne Cup, Australia’s most famous race. But a second at 2-5 to the five-time stakes winner Arcadia Queen in the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on Oct. 10 left him relegated behind runners such as Tiger Moth and Surprise Baby on the list.

Those runners are not part of the Cox Plate, Australia’s leading weight-for-age race, but Arcadia Queen is part of the field along with two prominent runners trained by Aidan O’Brien of Ireland in Armory and Magic Wand.

The Irish-breds Russian Camelot and Armory are 3-year-olds in the Northern Hemisphere but recognized as 4-year-olds in the Southern Hemisphere.

Russian Camelot has won 4 of 8 starts for trainer Danny O’Brien, including two Group 1 races in the last six months – the South Australian Derby at 1 9/16 miles in May and the Underwood Stakes at 1 1/8 miles in September. In the Underwood, Russian Camelot finished 2 1/4 lengths in front of Arcadia Queen, who was third.

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The $3.56 million Cox Plate is run at about 1 1/4 miles.

Armory won the Group 3 Royal Whip Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on Aug. 14 at The Curragh in Ireland and was third by two lengths to Magical in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes on Sept. 12 at Leopardstown. Magical is a leading contender for the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

Magic Wand and Arcadia Queen are two of four mares in the Cox Plate field.

The well-traveled Magic Wand, second in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park in January, is winless in seven starts in five countries since a victory in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Flemington Racecourse in Australia last November.

Arcadia Queen has won 7 of 13 starts, racing as a closer. The win in the Caulfield Stakes ended a five-race losing streak over 13 months and was her first start at 1 1/4 miles.

The Cox Plate is the ninth race on a 10-race program that begins at 8:40 p.m. Eastern, or 5:40 p.m. Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

◗ The top race on the Saturday program at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney is the $713,000 Bondi Stakes for 3-year-old milers. Peltzer, winner of the Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes at 7 1/2 furlongs on Oct. 10 at Randwick, will be favored in a field of 10.

First post for the nine-race program at Randwick is 9:50 p.m. Eastern on Friday