Sir Dragonet wins Cox Plate in Australian debut; Zouologist favored at Newcastle

Sir Dragonet, an Irish-bred colt who was second in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup in Ireland in the summer, made a splashy Australian debut with a victory in Saturday’s Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne.

The victory led to significant changes in future-book betting for the Melbourne Cup on Nov. 3. While Tiger Moth remains the favorite at generally 5-1, Sir Dragonet and Surprise Baby are now joint 9-1 second choices, slightly ahead of Anthony Van Dyck at 10-1.

Aidan O’Brien trains Tiger Moth and Anthony Van Dyck and is the former trainer of Sir Dragonet.

The $3.56 million Cox Plate is run at about 1 1/4 miles and is Australia’s top weight-for-age race. The Melbourne Cup is a handicap run at two miles.

A Northern Hemisphere 4-year-old colt, Sir Dragonet was sold earlier this year by the Coolmore syndicate to an Australian partnership headed by Ozzie Kheir of Melbourne and is now trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.

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In the Cox Plate, Sir Dragonet (6-1) closed from the back of a field of 14, rallying between rivals. Ridden by Glen Boss, Sir Dragonet took the lead in the final sixteenth and won by 1 1/4 lengths over Armory, trained by O’Brien.

Russian Camelot, the 5-2 favorite, led in the final quarter-mile but could not sustain the effort and finished third by two lengths. Russian Camelot was 14-1 for the Melbourne Cup after the Cox Plate, having been a single-digit price earlier this month.

The first four finishers of the Cox Plate were bred in Ireland. The best-placed Australian-bred runner was Arcadia Queen, who stumbled badly midway through the race and was beaten 3 3/4 lengths.

Boss won his fourth Cox Plate on Saturday, but was given two $741 fines for celebrating the win before he reached the finish and for hugging a member of Maher and Eustace’s team after the race in violation of Australian racing coronavirus guidelines.

Zouologist favored at Newcastle on Monday

In March, Zouologist, the Australian-bred gelding, won his debut at Newcastle Racecourse and first start for trainers Tara and Philippe Vigouroux in a handicap at six furlongs. In five subsequent starts, Zouologist is winless, but has been second three times, including a handicap at about 6 1/2 furlongs at Muswellbrook on Oct. 5 in his first start in more than four months.

Zouologist set the pace and was beaten a head on Oct. 5, a narrow loss that will leave him favored to win for the third time in his 17th career start in a handicap at about 6 3/4 furlongs at Newcastle on Monday.

Zouologist, who will be ridden by Mikayla Weir, is part of a full field of 12 that includes General Soho and All from Scrap, who have recent races good enough to win on Monday.

All from Scrap and General Soho were first and second in a handicap at Tamworth on Sept. 14.

All from Scrap was eighth in a handicap at 6 1/4 furlongs at Taree on Oct. 17, while General Soho was fifth of 10 against a tougher field in a six-furlong handicap at Warwick Farm on Oct. 7.

The eight-race Newcastle program begins at 10:25 p.m. Eastern, or 7:25 p.m. Pacific, on Sunday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.