The Cox Plate has a new joint favourite, with Irish galloper Sir Dragonet being crunched from $51 into $11 after being purchased by Melbourne business and racing identity, Ozzie Kheir.
Ciaron Maher and David Eustace will train the northern hemisphere four-year-old in Australia, who is completing final vet checks.
The classy middle distance runner started favourite in last year’s Epsom Derby, and his most recent run saw him finish second behind Magical in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup (2000m) in Curragh.
Sir Dragonet has firmed from $51 to $11 equal favourite for the Cox Plate after being sold to Ozzie Kheir to continue his racing career in Australia. Here’s his win in the 2019 Chester Vase ? pic.twitter.com/nOlUQ9qEzS
— TAB (@tabcomau) August 18, 2020
Ozzie Kheir confirmed that the Cox Plate would be the initial target when speaking to RSN.
“I don’t know whether the Melbourne Cup would be his right distance – Coolmore have sort of kept him at that 2000m mark trying to win a Group I with him.
“I think he’s going to be a genuine Cox Plate horse, that would be the aim … I love running in the Melbourne Cup but it will be Cox Plate and then we will go into the Melbourne Cup with him and we will find out where we are at with him.”
Sir Dragonet is sharing Cox Plate favouritism with Russian Camelot, with both runners at $11 for the October 24 spring feature.
