COX PLATE FIELD AND BARRIER DRAW
1 GREYS INN (2) M. De Kock/W. Marwing 58
2 LAD OF THE MANOR (7) R. Hoysted/B. Johns 58
3 SUPER KID (5) J. Moore/ 58
4 CONFECTIONER (12) D. Hayes/ C. Williams 58
5 DESERT WAR (1) G. Waterhouse/L. Cassidy 58
6 FIELDS OF OMAGH (10) D. Hayes/S. King 58
7 TOSEN DANDY (9) H. Mori/ 58
8 XCELLENT (13) M. Moroney/M. Coleman 56.5
9 OUTBACK PRINCE (6) A.J. Cummings/D. Beadman 56.5
10 MAKYBE DIVA (4) D.L. Freedman/G. Boss 55.5
11 SKY CUDDLE (3) P. Moody/---- 55.5
12 LOTTERIA (8) G. Waterhouse/C. Munce 54
13 GOD'S OWN (14) J.B. Cummings/S. Baster 48.5
14 HOTEL GRAND (11) A.J. Cummings/ J. Ford 48.5

I've already taken Desert War at nice odds and am very happy with the barrier draw..i think hes a good e/w chance...

Thought the 3yo's might struggle out there...just maybe Hotel Grand could get across ...not sure..

Narrowed it down to
Makybe Diva / Desert War / Lad Of the Manor / Confectioner / Hotel Grand

A place chance as usual for Fieldsy..

Still watching the video and working on the speed map ,,but i think theres a few you can rule out which is always good...the problem for Makybe is that some of these pretenders could get in her road...

Surely confectioner is not going to ruin this race by settling outside Makybe and not letting her out?? He has drawn perfectly to sit right outside her about 3/4 of the way back in the pack. I just hope there are no hero jockeys that try and ruin the race for The great mare when there mount has no chance.

If a jockey ruins the race for Makybe and doesn't win they should get a life ban!

i dont agree ... its the jockeys job to give his horse every possible chance of winning..if a jock can keep Makybe boxed in without ruining his own chance of winning he should do so..everyone knows its probably there only chance of beating the Diva in the form shes in..
if a jock boxes her in and ruins his own chance of winning he then should be spoken to ..and i'm sure alot of angry punters will be doing just that..

Just checked the BOM website and there is rain/thunderstorms predicted from tommorow until early next week. Now i know the weather forecasts arn;t always on the money, but you'd think that if it rainded wed, thurs, fri and sat that would shake things up a bit.

Confectioner and desert war are both duffers on the wet. Xcellent doesn't like it either does he?

Not sure about the internationals but will have to look into that. I backed Super Kid before this weather forecast but i am not sure how he goes in the wet. After seeing the prediction of rain i backed Lad of the Manor as $9 will not stand up.

Scenario being wet, could sky cuddle run a place?

If wet Makybe just looks the one, if dry she still looks the one but would happy to go for value.

I had an e/w bet on God's Own at 50/1 for an interest 4 weeks ago. One of the better looking 3yo's I reckon I've ever seen, a real oil painting.

It's a pretty good field but impossible to go past Diva & she's too short for my tastes, so it looks like a no bet race for me.

I think Super Kid & Desert War are genuine hopes. Hotel Grande's last 2 runs have been excellent, & I think this year's Spring Champion was the best in quite some time, but I doubt he can over-race in a Cox Plate as a 3yo, against this field & still win.

Lad Of the Manor for me.........

__________________
Stix
.......Giddy Up..... !!

I reckon Lad of the Manor has to be in with a good chance as he can sit up handy to the pace, does not mind it wet and has won 4 from 4 at the Valley. Also my back pocket is hoping he wins as I backed him each way at $26.00 just before he had his first start back this spring

Bet smart bet wise