Cox Plate Tips - Pride Of Jenni to set the Valley alight in weight-for-age championship

A field of nine are set to line up for the second of the Melbourne spring majors, including the world-class Japanese galloper, Prognosis, as well as the UK galloper, Docklands. 

Last years runner-up, Mr Brightside, is set to renew hostilities with Pride Of Jenni again, while there are two horses aged three in the race and they are Broadsiding and Evaporate. The Turnbull Stakes (2000m) winner, Via Sistina, is a strong chance, while Kovalica and Royal Patronage are the others. 

Prognosis has form around last year’s winner, Romantic Warrior. He has finished close up in two of his last four runs behind that horse. The lightly raced seven-year-old was 4th over the 2000m at Group 2 level in Japan at his most recent start. 

Interestingly, Via Sistina, is the only last start winner in the race, going 13.6 lengths faster than standard to claim the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington. 

Mr Brightside comes in with the best last start figure of any of the locals, doing all the chasing on a track where the leaders went well, finishing runner-up behind Deny Knowledge in the Might And Power (2000m). The Team Hayes-trained galloper went 15.6 lengths faster than standard that day. 

Pride Of Jenni gets out to the 2000m for the first time since her amazing triumph in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) last autumn. She is on the back up after being run down by Ceolwulf in the King Charles Stakes (1600m) last weekend. Last spring, her peak came at the same stage when also on a one-week back-up when taking out the Champions Mile (1600m) ahead of Mr Brightside. 

Evaporate was 3rd in the recent Caulfield Guineas, while Broadsiding placed 4th as a short-priced favourite. They will be out to become the first youngsters since Shamus Award in 2013 to win this race. They will need to produce a personal best to knock over the older horses, as will Royal Patronage and Kovalica. 

I loved what Pride Of Jenni did at Moonee Valley in the Feehan Stakes (1600m) two starts ago and believe that she is one that will be best suited at the circuit, which is usually a good place for leaders. Not too concerned with her last start defeat and I am buoyed by her previous effort when racing off a one-week break when taking out the Champions Mile last year. The small field and a lack of early pressure that we saw last weekend will also play into her hands. 

Happy to take on the likes of Prognosis, Via Sistina and the three-year-olds and believe that the best value lies with Mr Brightside. He looked a bit flat against Deny Knowledge last time but there were a few factors that went against and I loved the way he rebounded after a similar run last year in the King Charles Stakes (1600m) at Randwick. The Hayes camp are among the better stables at getting their horses to peak for their Grand Final and the seven-year-old should enjoy all the favours after drawing barrier 2. He is definite value at the price.