Benbatl in peak form ahead of G1 Cox Plate

A second Australian G1 trophy and a fourth for the year is on offer to Godolphin’s high-class middle-distance runner Benbatl in Saturday’s G1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in Melbourne.

Benbatl, who will be joined by Avilius in the royal blue, has the formidable task of ending the 28-race winning run of Winx, the world’s highest-ranked horse in the race, regarded as Australia’s best.

But his trainer Saeed bin Suroor believes his horse is ready to challenge the mare in her attempt to become the first four-time winner of the Cox Plate.

“I have a lot of respect for Winx, she is a superstar, she’s the best in Australian history,” Saeed said.

“But my horse is really well, he worked good yesterday and he’s in great form.”

Saeed, who plotted Benbatl’s victory earlier this month in the G1 Caulfield Stakes and that of Best Solution in last week’s G1 Caulfield Cup, says the Cox Plate has been his goal all year.

Benbatl had finished fifth behind Wings Of Eagles in the 2017 Derby at Epsom, a performance that suggested to Saeed that the colt didn’t stay.

At his next start he won at Royal Ascot over 2000m, bringing the Cox Plate into calculations.

“The plan from January in Dubai was to take this horse to Australia,” Saeed said.

“When Benbatl won in Dubai in March I knew he was going to be good and we took him to Germany and he won another G1.”

At his only Australian start, Benbatl showed great courage to beat stablemate Blair House over 2000m at Caulfield in a performance that suggested he could be a worthy challenger to Winx.

Avilius has won four-from-four since transferring from Andre Fabre to Godolphin’s head Australian trainer James Cummings.

He is expected to acquit himself well in the Cox Plate, but his major goal is the G1 Melbourne Cup.

“He’s not yet a weight-for-age horse in my opinion,” Cummings said.

“I think this is a race he can run well in and if he scares them, that’s great, but I really think he’s going to be looking for two miles after this weekend.”

“He’s done so well that he’s really in need of a run before we go to the Melbourne Cup and for that reason we think the Cox Plate looks like it will suit him down to the ground." 

“If Avilius is running on strongly, then we’ll be delighted heading towards the Cup.”

Should Winx win on Saturday she will take her G1 tally to 22, her overall record to 33 wins and will become the greatest money winner in world racing, taking over from the American horse Arrogate.